"Annabelle Comes Home," the latest entry in Gary Dauberman's successful horror franchise, feels like a test of David Lynch's oft-cited theory that 70 index cards equal a feature film.
He didn't say they have to be related, did he?
Dauberman, the screenwriter and co-creator of the "Annabelle" franchise _ part of the "Conjuring" universe _ makes his directorial debut with this third installment. It's a mix of high points and low points, much like the overall series itself. The characters can be compelling, the young cast (all female) is engaging and there's even a little thread of pathos running through the story. Somewhere around the 50th index card, though, the ideas lose focus, the story unravels and "Annabelle Comes Home" starts to feel like a stack of random ideas.
