By 24FPS - Movies | Horror Review | July 2025
What happens when two of horror’s most iconic figures—Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the haunted doll Annabelle—are brought together in a single cinematic showdown? On paper, Pennywise vs. Annabelle sounds like a horror fan’s dream come true: a chilling cross-franchise event packed with supernatural terror, psychological dread, and nightmarish visuals. In execution, however, the film struggles to live up to its terrifying potential.
Directed by horror newcomer Lexi Graves, Pennywise vs. Annabelle attempts to blend the mythologies of IT and The Conjuring universes into a single coherent narrative. The story begins when a mysterious artifact linking the town of Derry to the Warrens’ cursed collection is unearthed, unleashing a dark energy that awakens both Pennywise and Annabelle. As chaos spreads across Derry and Ed and Lorraine Warren’s legacy is threatened, a group of teenage paranormal investigators must uncover the truth behind both monsters before they destroy everything.
At its best, the film offers eerie atmosphere and a few unsettling set pieces. The scene in which Annabelle manipulates Pennywise’s illusions to prey on his fears is a clever inversion of power. Another standout sequence involves a reality-bending dreamscape where time, space, and sanity collapse in on themselves. These moments showcase the creative possibilities of bringing these characters together.
Unfortunately, those flashes of brilliance are buried under a poorly paced plot, over-reliance on jump scares, and weak character development. Pennywise, portrayed once again by Bill Skarsgård, retains his sinister charisma, but his menace feels diluted when sharing screen time with the passive, silent dread of Annabelle. The film struggles to define clear stakes—are these two villains fighting each other, or coexisting to torment others? The answer shifts constantly, leading to tonal inconsistency.
The new cast, while enthusiastic, can’t quite carry the weight of the film. The teenage protagonists feel like generic horror tropes, and without the Warrens themselves present, the connection to the Conjuring universe feels thin. The climax—an overblown CGI-heavy battle in the sewers beneath Derry—feels more like a Marvel spectacle than a horror finale.
Visually, the film is competent, with moody lighting, haunted house aesthetics, and brief nods to both franchises’ iconography. But atmosphere alone isn’t enough to save a film that lacks a strong narrative core. The musical score by Joseph Bishara (returning from Annabelle) brings unsettling tones but is often drowned out by bombastic sound design.
Pennywise vs. Annabelle had the ingredients for a chilling crossover, but ultimately falls short. Instead of a terrifying battle between evil incarnates, we get a confused mashup that rarely honors what made each villain so effective in their original stories. Hardcore fans may find moments to enjoy, but most viewers will leave the theater wishing for a more thoughtful and terrifying union of these two horror icons.
