Lately I've been catching up on movies in the Insidious and Conjuring franchises. Of the ones I've already seen, I liked the earliest ones a lot (i.e. Insidious 1 & 2 and The Conjuring 1 & 2), but the spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun were very disappointing (though the Nun was definitely an effectively scary villain).
Here's what I've seen over the last few weeks:
Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
Not sure why this isn't "Insidious 4", especially given that it occurs chronologically directly after the prequel, Insidious 3. This is a real mixed bag, feeling like it didn't know what it wanted to be about. It has some effective scares, but as a whole, didn't work for me. Lin Shaye truly phoned in her performance in this one. 2 out of 5 silly looking creatures with keys attached to their fingers from me.
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
This should have been creepy as fuck, but was completely ineffective. Linda Cardnelli gave a solid performance, but virtually every one else in the movie looked like they didn't want to be there. Maybe the Tuco actor (Breaking Bad) would have been more convincing if he went apeshit on the ghost for spilling his meth or something. 2 out of 5 unconvincing ghost ladies that won't stop moaning.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
I thought Annabelle was disappointing, so it was a pleasant surprise that this one was fairly decent. Certainly gave me the willies on occasion. The main flaw was that it relied on people doing the most unrecommended shit in order for bad stuff to happen, but I suppose that's not uncommon in this genre. 3.5 creepy dolls that keep moving when you're not looking at them.
Annabelle: Comes Home (2019)
This movie relies on "people doing the most unrecommended shit in order for bad stuff to happen" and dials it up to 10. It's certainly entertaining (basically a modern "13 Ghosts"), but a little silly. Why have this evil shit "safe guarded" in the most pathetic way possible? The Warrens need their ghost-keeping license revoked based on this film. Still, yes, fun in parts. 3 out of 5 random assortment of spooky relics that do shit when you're not looking.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Less scary than the first two Conjurings, but I'm glad they went for a slightly different formula in this one. I quite enjoyed it, so was surprised to find that the director also directed the disappointing La Llorona one (above). As per usual, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson gave a solid performance as the (sanitised for fiction) Warrens. This movie relied on certain characters being incapacitated for long enough for shit to go bad that their special knowledge would have otherwise nipped in the bud, but I'll forgive it for that for otherwise keeping me entertained. 4 out of 5 creepy looking fetishes surreptitiously placed under your bed.