The 16 Best Basketball Movies To Binge During March Madness

The 16 Best Basketball Movies To Binge During March Madness

March Madness. It's a time where champions are made, underdogs overcome giants, and everyone complains about the seeding of teams and how some organizations get an easier route than others. It's something I found myself griping over during Selection Sunday, which led to self-analysis on how I would seed teams if I had a say.

It didn't take long for me to realize I don't know nearly enough about college basketball to pull that off. I do know movies, however, and so I concocted a solid system of averaging critic and audience reviews of some of the best basketball films out there to make a definitive ranked list for 16 classic films. The list, no doubt, will be controversial, but it wouldn't be March Madness if there wasn't snubs and seedings that don't feel justified.

With that said, take a look at our list ranked from 16-1, and feel free to pair these films up against each other to see who you'd have come out on top as the definitive winner. As a note basketball documentaries were excluded, mainly because there's just way too many 30 for 30 specials that it would almost warrant an entire full bracket of its own. Without further ado, let's jump in bay-bee.

16th Seed: Semi-Pro

This is a ranking that I'm positive few will dispute. Semi-Pro isn't even the best Will Ferrell movie, let alone the best basketball film the industry has to offer. Still, it is notable, and while it has little to no chance of overtaking the 1 seed in most people's eyes, it's fun for what it is.

15th Seed: The 6th Man

Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison's sports comedy may not be the most memorable of basketball films, but we'd be remiss to leave off a film which features a college team that makes the NCAA Division 1 finals with the help of the ghost of a former player. It's fairly predictable but good for a few laughs, and its inclusion of actual college team names helps its cause. Could this Cinderella story pull an upset in the first round? (Probably not.)

14th Seed: Blue Chips

When it comes to basketball cameos, few can stand against Blue Chips. The film is littered with NCAA legends like Bob Knight, Dick Vitale, and Rick Pitino, and features NBA stars like Larry Bird and Shaquille O'Neal. The film features a coach getting suspended for admitting to a booster paying players to play for them. It's a nice premise, even if Nick Nolte's character gets a harsher punishment than real college coaches who have been caught.

13th Seed: Teen Wolf

Fanbases can fall into darkness when a star player goes down during the NCAA tournament, but all hope is not lost. Sure the Beavers wouldn't have had a chance to make it to the championship had the Wolf not carried them there, but once Scott (Michael J. Fox) vowed not to bring him out, they banded together and rose to greatness. Granted, it was unrealistic by the team's ability level, but less so for an average college team.

12th Seed: Space Jam

Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T. of professional basketball, but when it comes to movies, he's only a 12 seed. The movie got less-than-glowing reviews from critics but strong audience approval ensured this Looney Toons movie has remained relevant over the years. While its overall basketball influence hasn't been confirmed, it wouldn't be surprising to learn some NBA teams have taken a note from the Monstars playbook in assembling All-Star lineups.

11th Seed: Like Mike

Ironically, the movie more loosely associated with Michael Jordan outranked Space Jam. Bow Wow's Like Mike is a great watch, not just for the solid story for all ages, but also because of the surprising amount of basketball talent this movie pulled. Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, Gary Payton, Dirk Nowitzki, and a whole lot of other superstars from a bygone era all show up. It's hard to believe two of those guys are still playing!

10th Seed: Uncle Drew

Who would've thought a series of Pepsi commercials would lead to a feature film? Whether anyone saw it coming or not, Uncle Drew was a thing that happened with NBA superstar Kyrie Irving teaming up with former NBA legends for a truly unique and underrated comedy. For those that haven't seen it and want to criticize this placement, give the movie a chance first.

9th Seed: The Basketball Diaries

Not even a basketball-themed list can keep all-star actor Leonardo DiCaprio away! This, of course, is young Leo in an emotional film that, in truth, really spins away from basketball the longer one watches. This one is a classic, for reasons beyond the fact there was some actual beef between Mark Wahlberg and Leo prior to filming.

8th Seed: Above The Rim

If soundtracks counted towards seeding, Above The Rim would be in the top 2, easily. It still has nothing to be ashamed of in this 8 seed, as everyone knows the middle seeds can often be the most surprising during tourney time. This film definitely drives the narrative that basketball is more than a game to some, even if it does take that to a bit of an extreme at the end.

7th Seed: Glory Road

It's the film based on a true story that fundamentally changed college basketball forever. Don Haskins and the Texas Western Miners win over Kentucky was, and still is, a defining moment in the history of the NCAA Men's Division I tournament. Glory Road is a fine film to re-live that story, and gets all the bullet points right even if some details were left on the cutting room floor.

6th Seed: White Men Can't Jump

Anyone who's played street ball can't deny thinking of this movie at least once while playing. Whether it's the iconic line being uttered on the court, or the hope that the random guy you picked up to roll with you is secretly awesome so you can form a lasting friendship and pay off your debt to mobsters. If there's been a better cinematic basketball duo than Billy and Sidney, I'm not sure who they are.

5th Seed: Coach Carter

High school coaches and anger: Name a better combo. Coach Carter is the best embodiment of that coach you had way back in the day who was either a great positive role model in your life or that dude who took athletics way too seriously. Your viewpoint will largely depend on how skilled of a basketball player you were.

4th Seed: Finding Forrester

Gus Van Sant's story about a young man who befriends a reclusive writer is a fantastic movie, even if it isn't the most basketball driven feature on this list. In fact, some could argue Finding Forrester deserves a lower ranking due to Jamal's decision at the end of the film, but obviously, I wouldn't make that argument.

3rd Seed: He Got Game

Spike Lee's He Got Game is a fantastic basketball film, not just because of its deep story, but also because it pulls a Hollywood performance out of a professional basketball player. Ray Allen's turn in this movie is superb, and blows all other acting jobs by NBA pros out of the water. Plus, the Public Enemy song that was written for it is pretty amazing.

2nd Seed: Hoosiers

Coming in at number 2 is Hoosiers, which I'm sure is a call that's nothing short of blasphemy. Hoosiers tells a story of insurmountable odds being overcome by teamwork and fundamentals! It was your father's favorite basketball film, and dammit, it's still your favorite basketball film. I get it, I really do, but it's time for a change of the guard, and it's high time to acknowledge another movie deprived of the top spot for so long.

1st Seed: Love & Basketball

Yes, the top seed goes to Love & Basketball according to the algorithm, and I think it makes sense. The movie does about the best any movie has done at exploring the game from a player's perspective, rather than that of a coach or outsider. Sure it's a love story, but it also is a unique take on a sport some may not fully understand without seeing, which may be why it sits at number one.

We've set the rankings, and if you're feeling frisky and wanting to put these films head to head, we've created a bracket in which each film would match up based on ranking. Make your picks, and of course, feel free to lambast ranking choices in the comments and lament the snubs that didn't make the list. For more on great basketball movies, check out which films the cast of Uncle Drew love the most.

Rocketman Team And Elton John 'Reject' Decision To Censor Movie For Russian Market

Rocketman Team And Elton John 'Reject' Decision To Censor Movie For Russian Market

The musical biopic celebrating Elton John’s rise to stardom and personal struggles has finally arrived to cinemas. However, at a screening of Rocketman in Moscow on Thursday, audiences missed out on the intended experience of the film, which was meant to shown an uninhibited and flashy approach to the musician's early life.

Scenes including gay sex and kissing in Rocketman were removed by the Russian distributor, sparking this response from Elton John and the filmmakers:

We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today. Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Elton’s extraordinary life, warts and all. That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people. We believe in building bridges and open dialogue, and will continue to push for the breaking down of barriers until all people are heard equally across the world.

Five minutes of footage was reportedly removed from the movie for Russian audiences, due to the country’s laws banning "homosexual propaganda." According to Variety, the filmmakers and Elton John had not been made aware of the censorship until Russian journalists reported the cut following the Moscow screening.

Paramount Pictures also released a separate statement about Rocketman’s censorship:

We are incredibly proud of the movie that we made, which is told in the way that Elton John wanted his story to be depicted. We are releasing the film in its entirety around the world regardless of rating, but like all studios, we must adhere to local laws and requirements in certain territories in which the film is being shown.

The studio supported Elton John’s words, expressing that the movie will be released uncut across the globe. There is however one caveat: the studio “must adhere” to local laws, and in some regions those include the censorship of gay content. Will Paramount then continue to release Rocketman in foreign territories that will cut these scenes? This seems to be the case, otherwise the studio would have to pull Rocketman from a few foreign markets.

Those involved in the musical have been vocal about the movie’s approach to truthfully depict Elton John’s life, showing his drug use and gay sex scenes. When John originally set out to have his life told, he went through studios unwilling to back an R-rated Elton John biopic. The musician recently said “I haven’t led a PG-13 rated life," so it never made sense to him for a movie about him to hold that rating.

Rumors previously swarmed about Paramount’s pushback to cut a gay scene from the flick as well, but director Dexter Fletcher shot those rumors down, assuring the film “has and always will be the no holds barred."

Bohemian Rhapsody recently dealt with a similar situation when it was released in China. Six sequences regarding Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s sexual identity were censored from the film, and that movie was PG-13 to begin with. Chinese film advocates spoke out about the censorship, saying it really affected the intended message of the movie about Mercury finding himself.

Rocketman has been met with positive reviews by critics and is expected to open behind Godzilla: King of the Monsters this weekend at $25 million.

Jeremy Renner Keeps Showing Love For The Original Six Before Avengers: Endgame

Jeremy Renner Keeps Showing Love For The Original Six Before Avengers: Endgame

While there were many surprising decisions at the end of Avengers: Infinity War as far as which heroes we lost and which ones survived, there was one very clear pattern that emerged. All five of the characters who made up the original Avengers survived. While the exact fate of Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye was unknown at the time, this pattern (and the fact we knew Renner had filmed scenes for something for the two Avengers movies) led many to believe Hawkeye had lived, something which has since been confirmed. In the lead up to Avengers: Endgame, Renner appears quite focused on his original co-stars, as he has continued to share pictures to Instagram focusing on these six heroes.

A few days ago Jeremy Renner shared the six character posters of the original Avengers team that were released as part of the 'Avenge the Fallen" series. He also gave a shout out to his "A6" on Instagram. While there are several other characters who will certainly play important parts in Avengers: Endgame, one certainly believes these six characters will still be the ones at the center of it all. The Marvel Cinematic Universe really took off with the original Avengers film, and Endgame is expected to be something of a conclusion.

And of course, Jeremy Renner knows some things that we don't. While we expect that Endgame will likely be the final MCU movie for Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, and possibly others, Renner would, one assumes, know for sure if that's the case. He not only knows if they're leaving, but assuming they are, he knows how it will happen in the film. It could be part of the reason he's celebrating his old friends, because this is his last chance to do so in this context.

It's not all super serious, however. Before sharing the picture of all six Avengers looking focused and committed, he shared a very different picture, showing the six Avengers actors being silly and ridiculous. Check it out.

Of course, while most of the focus is on the big names of Downey and Evans, we don't really know what the future holds for the other four actors either. We know a movie based on Black Widow is on the way, but that one is expected to be a prequel, so that doesn't mean that character is any safer. The Avengers will likely move forward, but they will almost certainly look very different when they do. Just which of these six characters will we see again, and which will we be saying goodbye to for a final time?

Is Renner being nostalgic because he's one of the people going away? Who knows. I certainly won't be happy to see any of these six characters go.

How Much Money Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much Money Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

Along with the massive blockbusters, remakes and long-awaited sequels, one of this summer’s most anticipated releases for film fans is Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The 9th film from the auteur brings together an all-star cast for a film the director describes as the closest thing he’s done to his beloved Pulp Fiction. The long-range tracking is in for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and all those ingredients look like they may add up to Tarantino’s biggest hit yet.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is forecasted to enjoy an opening weekend between $40 million and $60 million, according to Box Office Pro. For a movie released in the middle of summer that doesn’t have the same kind of CGI spectacle as the majority of the surrounding blockbusters, that is quite a solid debut. It may also wind up being the biggest opening to date for a Quentin Tarantino movie.

The biggest 3-day debut for Quentin Tarantino film, not counting for inflation, belongs to Inglorious Basterds, which opened to $38 million in August 2009 on its way to $321.4 million worldwide. Django Unchained also had a successful opening, earning $63.4 million over six days in advance of a $425.4 million worldwide total, but since it opened on Christmas Tuesday in 2012, it isn’t a 1 to 1 comparison.

Star power isn’t quite the box office driver that it once was, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has a lot of star power and that will certainly help this movie stand out in the crowded summer season and as Box Office Pro notes, be a ‘tentpole’ title in its own right. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in Quentin Tarantino’s biggest openers and their names along with Oscar nominee and Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie, and a host of other talent, will certainly help this film’s visibility come release.

Almost two months out from its release, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood also has a lot of positive buzz going for it. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival to largely rave reviews (it currently sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and the release of the full trailer netted it solid social media buzz.

However, it should be noted that some of those reviews mentioned that the film could be divisive and prompt backlash, so we’ll have to see if that happens and what bearing it has on the box office.

It is also worth mentioning that although the R rating and long runtime (which Tarantino might still extend) are traditionally marks against a film’s box office prospects, Tarantino has a coterie audience that expects an R rating from the filmmaker and as Avengers: Endgame showed, when the interest is there, runtime isn’t always a detractor.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will also stand out as one of the few options for adult-oriented fare during the summer months. The likening of the film to Pulp Fiction may also prove to be advantageous as that film is still Quentin Tarantino’s biggest movie domestically when adjusted for inflation.

And although the film won’t have much competition opening weekend, it will be interesting to see if its $40-$60 million debut is enough for first place. That’s because it comes out the week after Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King, which could top $200 million opening weekend. Tarantino’s film also comes out one week before Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

Nevertheless, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will have carved out a nice opening for itself with $40-$60 million if the tracking is right.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood opens on July 26. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the movies to get you out of the hot summer sun this season.

10 Questions We Still Have About Avengers: Endgame

10 Questions We Still Have About Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is special for a lot of reasons. It's the culmination of 11 years of storytelling, the curtain call for several favorite characters and the finale of one the grandest movie experiments of all time. It's a straight-up cinema event, and yet we can probably summarize everything that we know about this movie in one sentence. The marketing for Endgame has been incredibly secretive, and with about one week left to go, we have a ton of questions still left unanswered.

Footage may have leaked, but Thanos still demands your silence. Spoilers for Endgame are being kept to an absolute minimum and only small pieces of the puzzle have been revealed by footage. However, even new footage reveals more questions than answers. We still have about a week to go before everything is finally answered, but until then, these are the last big spoiler-free questions that remain for Endgame.

What's The Deal With The Matching Suits?

The various members of the Avengers usually like to rock their own costumes, but Endgame will feature the characters wearing their first team uniform. The matching white outfits have been popping up on all sorts of marketing and promotional material for a while now, but we don't actually know the purpose for the new costumes. Is it just a visual metaphor to show that the Avengers are truly united as one? Do the suits serve a specific purpose? There are plenty of theories on the latter, but if one thing is clear: the Avengers look damn good in them.

How Do Tony Stark And Nebula Return To Earth?

The very first trailer for Endgame opened with Tony Stark stranded in outer space with little hope of rescue or survival. Later trailers revealed that Tony and Nebula do indeed find their way back to Earth. The question is how. Fans have theorized that Pepper Potts or Captain Marvel could mount a rescue mission, but right now it's unclear how Tony and Nebula get from point A to B. I subscribe to the theory that Tony tinkers their way out of the situation as a homage to escaping that cave way back in Iron Man, but we'll know soon enough.

Does Thanos Have A New Infinity Gauntlet?

At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, unleashing the full power of all six Infinity Stones left the Infinity Gauntlet charred and withered. Though Thanos' escape proves the Gauntlet still works, it's clearly seen better days. However, the Gauntlet appears good as new on Thanos' arm in a number of marketing materials. This begs the question of if Thanos has found a way to fix the Gauntlet or he gets a new one. Either way, why does he need to have the Gauntlet in the first place? The new Gauntlet could be a trick of the marketing and not actually be in the movie, but I'd be really surprised if the Stones didn't have a big role to play.

Who's Going To Die?

During the promotion for Infinity War, Marvel teased that no one was safe. That turned out to be true, and we have even more reason to think that lives will be lost by the time the credits roll in Endgame. This movie has been teased as a conclusion, so it's natural that some characters won't make it out alive. Captain America and Iron Man are the two most popular bets to not survive, but really almost anyone could bite the big one in this movie. Pack you tissues because this movie is probably going to be emotional.

Will There Be Time Travel?

There are no less than one million theories about Endgame, but perhaps the most popular one involves time travel. Thanks to some set photo leaks, people think that the Avengers will be traveling through time as a means to stop Thanos and the Decimation from ever happening. Based on comic book logic, this is one of the only foreseeable ways to reverse the ending of Infinity War, and one brief line from Ant-Man and the Wasp may have teed this theory up. Marvel isn't about to drop a spoiler like that before the premiere, but it's the strongest theory out there right now. (Sorry, Thanus fans).

Is There Another Villain?

Thanos is the main villain of the entire Infinity Saga, but even the biggest bad guys need some help. Thanos had the Black Order helping him out in Infinity War, and rumors suggest he might not be alone in Endgame. Promotional material may have spilled the beans that there's an even greater enemy in Endgame, but that obviously hasn't been confirmed. The trailers have been really light on Thanos, which might suggest that there is someone else sharing the spotlight. One popular theory was this individual is the inter-dimensional conqueror Annihilus, but that lost a lot of steam when Avengers: Annihilation wasn't the title.

Are The Snapped Really Dead?

The ending of Infinity War is one of the most shocking moments in recent movie history, but a number of people online wondered if it mattered since all the characters were more than likely coming back. While most fans seem to be in agreement that popular characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man are definitely not dead, there's debate on what actually happened to them. Did they actually die or were they transported into the Soul Stone? It's tough to say at this point, but their resurrection is a huge focus of Endgame.

What's Going On With Hulk?

The Hulk is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, but he called it quits after getting his ass kicked by Thanos in the opening minutes of Infinity War. After that, Hulk refused to come out no matter how much danger Bruce Banner was in. Hulk has been MIA in almost all the marketing for Endgame and hasn't appeared on any major posters for the film. However, he has appeared in action figure form and in some concept art, making us wonder why the movie is being gun shy about showing off the Hulk. The big hint is that he doesn't look quite the same as he usually does, and this is a good indicator for how the three-part Hulk/Banner storyline will conclude.

Is There A Time Jump?

Traveling to the past is a popular Endgame theory, but the movie may also have a few jumps into the future. There have been rumors that Endgame will feature a time jump in some capacity. Five years seems to be the favored number, wherein it takes the Avengers half of a decade to figure out how to defeat Thanos. The only indication that there is a jump is Black Widow's hairstyle. Widow rocks three different looks in the movie with her hair progressively changing back to read. This tells us that at least some amount of time will pass during the events of Endgame -- at least enough for someone to change their hairstyle two times.

What Will It Set Up?

Endgame is in a unique position because while it is an ending, it also has to serve as a beginning. While some characters are saying goodbye, the landscape of the MCU will supposedly be very different from here on out. Marvel already has some projects like The Eternals and Shang-Chi in development, but will Endgame set any of that up? Could Endgame tease the new big bad of Phase 4 in anyway or will fans just get a small indication of what to expect for the next five years? I'd wager that by the end of it we will get a new Avengers team, but I can also see Marvel ending big with a shocking post-credits scene.

Avengers: Endgame has been an interesting movie to follow. It has so much hype that it's breaking records weeks before it's in theaters, and yet people know so little about it. The marketing arguably doesn't have to do much because no matter what, this movie feels destined to make billions of dollars. We know almost nothing about the plot or character arcs, but that will just make the experience of watching the movie that much more memorable. Overall, it's great to see a major studio holding back to keep people as surprised as possible. The endgame is fast approaching and soon all of our questions will be answered.

The Fate Of The Furious’ F. Gary Gray Is Tackling A Wild Video Game Movie

The Fate Of The Furious’ F. Gary Gray Is Tackling A Wild Video Game Movie

Video games have become the next big source of material for big screen adaptation, something which is somewhat surprising considering the difficulty that filmmakers have had transforming said games into movies so far. We recently saw the first trailer for the forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and on the heels of that comes news that director F. Gary Gray is now in development on a movie based on the Saints Row franchise.

The Saints Row games have covered four installments with the first game being released in 2006 and the fourth coming out in 2013. The storyline follows a street gang called the Third Street Saints as they battle rival gangs for control of terf, become a multimedia conglomerate, and eventually battle space aliens who have invaded the planet earth.

As you can tell by that description, the Saints Row games get a little... weird. Originally, the games were little more than Grand Theft Auto clones. You moved throughout an open world city completing missions, that usually involved committing crimes, in order to progress the story.

However, as the series progressed, it found a way to stand out from its competition by completely shifting its tone. While the basic game structure remained the same, missions and plots became more over the top and wild. The addition of, frequently mature, humor not found in Grand Theft Auto helped the series find a fan base all its own which has made Saints Row one of the more popular recent game franchises of the last few years.

If you require an example of the exact nature of Saints Row, let me direct you to part of the opening sequence of Saints Row IV, in which your character successfully disarms a nuclear weapon while riding the missile and Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" plays in the background. No, this doesn't make any more sense if you've played the game.

According to Deadline, Greg Russo, who is also handling the script for the planned Mortal Kombat movie reboot is also writing the Saints Row movie.

While the Fast and Furious franchise may not have quite reached the level of camp that the Saints Row games embrace quite yet, those films have certainly become a little more insane themselves in recent years.

In The Fate of the Furious our heroes drive on ice while being chased by a submarine and The Rock diverts a torpedo with his bare hands. That's just the sort of thing you might expect to see in a Saints Row game.

And so, it's perfect to know that the director of The Fate of the Furious, F. Gary Gray, is looking at directing a Saints Row movie. The franchise basically requires over the top, slightly bonkers stunts and action, so Gray might be the perfect man to pull off such a film.

The joke has been that the only thing left for the Fast and Furious franchise to do is go to space. Considering the most recent Saints Row game did exactly that, we could essentially get a Fast and Furious in space movie without the actual film franchise having to get quite that extreme.

F. Gary Gray's most recent film Men in Black International is getting ready to debut in June. It sounds like Saints Row could be his next project.

Annabelle Comes Home Is Definitely Not A Horror Comedy, But It Will Have Funny Moments

Annabelle Comes Home Is Definitely Not A Horror Comedy, But It Will Have Funny Moments

The horror movies of The Conjuring Universe definitely take themselves seriously. Sure, there are the occasional laughs featured in the six features we’ve seen thus far, but they are pretty few and far between, as the focus has clearly always been primarily on scares. This is a tradition that fans can expect to see continue soon in the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home, but according to writer/director Gary Dauberman, you may find yourself chuckling while watching the movie a bit more than you did with previous chapters in this franchise.

The tone of Annabelle Comes Homes was a subject that came up during an interview with Dauberman on the set of the film when it was in production late last year, and in discussing his approach the filmmaker revealed that the new release will be a bit different than the previous two Annabelle features (both of which he wrote). While he stressed that there will never be a point in the movie where a comedic beat is given preference over a scare, there are going to be some laughs mixed in with the screams during the experience:

I'm not a huge fan of horror comedies, but I love comedy in my horror – if that makes sense. I like moments of levity, so I'm leaning into that a little bit more on certain moments, because I find if we hit the moments where people laugh, and then they get scared right away… I like trying to land that. I've been playing around with that a little bit more.

It’s an interesting direction to take, and arguably a smart one. While it’s definitely true that too much comedy can undercut the more frightening aspects of a horror film, striking a proper balance can work wonders. After all, making an audience smile with a joke or silly situation can lure them into a false sense of security, and when their guard is down a proper scare can result in shrieks, spilled soda, and flung popcorn.

Furthermore, a proper application of laughs interspersed with shocks does wonders for the ride-like experience that a great horror movie can offer. Those are two emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum, and it can be a blast for crowds to constantly bounce back and forth between those extremes. A recent example of a film that did that brilliantly was Andres Muschietti’s IT – which Gary Dauberman also wrote.

Part of what allows Gary Dauberman to take this approach with Annabelle Comes Home is that the plot offers circumstances that make the laughs natural – something that he didn’t really have in the making of Annabelle or Annabelle: Creation. Specifically, there is a classic horror set up here, with the story centering on young Judy Warren (McKenna Grace) as she spends the night with a babysitter (Madison Iseman) and her babysitter’s best friend (Katie Sarife) in a house that starts to go a bit nuts thanks to the presence of Annabelle. As Dauberman explained, the personalities of the girls allowed him to try some lighter tones with the plot, while never breaking too far from the larger tone of The Conjuring Universe movies. Said the writer/director,

That just fits the girls too because they're just so upbeat. It’s that sort of the teenagers alone in the house thing we're trying to capture too. It's been a lot of... We're not going ‘outside the box’ on this one, but I think we're trying to get a couple more moments of levity that maybe weren't there in the first and second one. I mean, there were moments of levity, but a little bit more of that sprinkled in.

Annabelle Comes Home, which features the return of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Loraine Warren, will be hitting theaters everywhere as a big summer release this year – scheduled to go nationwide on June 28th. It’s one of our most anticipated releases of the season, so you can be sure that we’ll have a lot more for you to read about it here on CinemaBlend between now and when it comes out.