What’s Aged the Best?
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga; the period setting; Annabelle; horror-movie rules; cinematic nostalgia; Lili Taylor
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:40Read transcript
- Wilson and Farmiga are praised as talented, appropriately famous leads; her unusual energy makes her especially well cast.
- The leads are praised for serving the horror premise rather than demanding showy character showcases; the period setting makes the film timeless.
- Annabelle’s redesign from a less frightening real-life doll is praised, along with the opening claim that the case had been kept secret.
- The first two horror rules are to leave a house with a secret crawl space and noose, and listen to a dog that refuses to enter.
- The quick dismissal of the dead dog prompts a disputed claim that people cared less about pets in the 1970s.
- Further rules concern a boarded-up cellar and researching a house bought at bank auction.
- Repeated disturbances at the same overnight hour and unexplained bruising should alert the family.
- Slow zooms, title fonts and homages to earlier horror films are praised; Lili Taylor is singled out as perfectly cast.