From the moment she made her big screen debut in 2013's The Conjuring, it was clear that Annabelle the possessed doll was destined for horror film stardom. Only a year later she had already gained her own spin-off/prequel film that had fans (or 'fannabelle's', you heard it here first) extremely hyped. However, Annabelle was a major let down, full of one-dimensional performances, a predictable story, and little to no scares at all. It was pure cinematic feces. Naturally when Annabelle: Creation was announced I was very skeptical, was this just going to be another poorly crafted, blatant cashgrab? Much to my surprise, Annabelle: Creation was an extremely enjoyable and thrilling horror film that manages to redeem the sins of its predecessor.
Set in the 1950's, Creation follows a group of young orphaned girls who arrive at the home of a former doll maker who now runs a home for girls. Upon arriving, a young girl named Janice (Talitha Bateman) begins to witness supernatural events around the house that she believes has something to do with the sinister doll she found in the house. Bateman gives a great performance as the young, polio-stricken Janice, who finds herself as an outsider of the group due to her unfortunate disability. Her only friend is fellow orphan Linda (Lulu Wilson), and the duo form an almost inseparable bond. One of my issues with the first Annabelle was that the protagonists were so one-dimensional and lacked any real chemistry, I'm not even bothered to find their names because they were so boring. It took away any empathy that we should have had for our protagonists. However, right from their first scene together, it is clear that Janice and Linda are not only two likeable characters, but also that their strong chemistry will act as the films emotional heart. Both actresses give really convincing performances and it makes us fear more for them when things start to turn spooky. Other notable performances include Stephanie Sigman as Sister Charlotte, the kind nun who acts as a motherly figure to the girls, and Miranda Otto who plays the mysterious Mrs. Mullins.
Unlike its predecessor, Annabelle: Creation actually has quite a few tricks up its sleeve in the scare department. Director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) proves yet again that he has a talent for crafting a good jump scare. Using a combination of dark cinematography and almost unbearable silence, Sandberg creates this eerie air of suspense that was severely lacking in the films predecessor. Much likes James Wan who kicked off The Conjuring franchise, Sandberg also knows how to craft an effective jump scare that rarely ever feels cheap. However, one of the films strongest points is that it doesn't rely solely on jump scares, but also utilises a fair amount of imagery to really get under the viewers skin. The first scene where Janice encounters Annabelle is extremely unnerving even though nothing actually happens. However, that pale white face and those sunken eyes looming out of the darkness make the need for cheap frights redundant, Sandberg knows that Annabelle doesn't actually have to do anything to be scary. There is tons of great imagery in this film, from gloomy bedrooms cluttered with old dolls, to a particularly grizzly scene that involves a character being pinned to the wall, Annabelle: Creation has many great visuals that play in your mind, making the inevitable jump scares all the more effective.
Another one of the major flaws in the first Annabelle was that it was painfully predictable. There were certain points when I was like 'oh, maybe this character is actually bad' or 'oh, maybe this will happen', but nope, no twists or surprises whatsoever. While Creation doesn't exactly have the worlds most original plot, it does at least throw in a few unexpected moments to keep the audience members on their toes. One particular example is how exactly this film ties in with its predecessor, and while it did feel a bit like an epilogue shoehorned in at the end, it was a surprising and clever way to tie both films together. I certainly didn't see it coming. Along with fixing the mistakes that the first film made, Creation also feels like it has its own personality as well. The old isolated house set against the dusty, rural setting is not only a visually appealing location, but also a memorable one. As well as that, the old bedroom laden with creepy dolls really emphasises that Creation is a film about just that, a scary doll. While Annabelle herself remains stationary for the most part, the consistent doll and puppet imagery makes this feel like a definitive killer doll film.
The film does have some flaws however, the main one being that it still falls into the usual pitfalls that catch horror films every now and again. There is one particular scene that I vividly remember laughing at because it was so absurd (YOUR SOUUL), you'll know it when you see it because it stands out like a sore thumb. Apart from that, the film often follows some general tropes such as characters going into rooms that they're not supposed to or going into dark places alone. I suppose the excuse can be made that they are just kids after all, and kids do the darndest things, but how many times have we seen people make the same mistakes over and over again in horror films? To be honest, however, in comparison to the first Annabelle, this film is The Exorcist.
The most important thing to take from Annabelle: Creation is that the powers that be are actually taking the criticisms of the first film on board and applying them to this one. They are learning from their mistakes and making sure that they don't happen again this time round. Creation fixes the majority of flaws found in the first film, making for an extremely fun and surprisingly chilling supernatural horror. All hope seemed lost for poor Annabelle after her first outing, but Creation thankfully manages to save her character and make her feel scary again as she did in the first Conjuring film. While it still has some fairly minor issues, Annabelle: Creation is without a doubt the most pleasant surprise of the summer for horror fans everywhere.
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