Annabelle: Creation (A Welcome Addition to the horror franchise)
- Aymen Saqib
- Oct 3, 2017
- 3 min read
Rating: 7/10
Directed by David Sandberg
Starring:
Anthony LaPaglia as Samuel Mullins
Samara Lee as Bee
Miranda Otto as Esther Mullins
Talitha Eliana Bateman as Janice
Annabelle: Creation is the prequel to the 2014 film Annabelle and one of many spin offs spawned through the wildly successful, The Conjuring. Just like the title says, the film shows the origins of the titular Annabelle doll (possibly also the subject of many people’s nightmares) Created by a doll maker, who lives alone with his wife after suffering a personal loss, the doll begins terrorizing a nun and the girls who have moved from the orphanage into their house.
Beginning with a steady pace, the characters are introduced one by one while also maintaining the sense of tension that things will go awry. Only it fails to maintain this pace as the scares are piled one on top of another, without allowing lingering tension to build. Should horror movies be concerned solely with the quality of the scares or let the audience dwell in fear before the big “boo” moment? The Conjuring did both while also focusing on the characters and developing a narrative. Annabelle: Creation has a plot but it gets lost in the constant bombardment of horror.
That said, there’s great foreshadowing in the first half; a creepy scarecrow, a drafty shutter, a creaky bunk bed and much more. Sound design and cinematography also go a long way in bumping up some really scary moments (most notably Janice’s initial visits to the locked bedroom) These carefully planted scares lead up to the final show down while the conclusion ties into the franchise completely.
The performances tie the movie together and it shows. Talitha Eliana Bateman and Samara Lee pull their characters off with seeming ease. Anthony LaPaglia portrays a distressed father who perhaps remembers his deceased daughter too well for comfort. But Miranda Otto, an actress with a lot of emotional depth, is given so little to do, it’s a shame to see her go to waste. Her character, paralyzed, disfigured and ringing a bell as a call for assistance, is creepy enough on its own.
For all its flaws, Annabelle: Creation has genuine effort put into it. This is a smart, well-crafted movie. It looks like it belongs in the world that James Wan put on the map with his success, The Conjuring. It’s fair to say that Annabelle Creation is far superior than its dull soulless predecessor, Annabelle, and the overwrought The Conjuring 2. It has a charm similar to that of The Conjuring if not recreating it wholly.
The moments in the film that work the most, a creak down the darkened hallway, a bed sheet that can’t stay still, mainstream horror elements are reinvigorated thanks to the excellent direction here. And of course, one of the oldest tricks in the book, the haunted doll. In this case, it just so happens to also be one of the freakiest looking dolls in the history of film.
This is a flawed film, particularly in terms of pacing and story-telling. But is it worth watching? Absolutely. Will you be scared? You can bet the blanket you’ll be hiding under tonight.
If you liked Annabelle: Creation, check out Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) another prequel far superior to its terrible forerunner, Ouija.
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