Review of Annabelle: Creation (2017) by Steven A — 10 Aug 2017

The horror mystery thriller "Annabelle: Creation" (R, 1:49) is the kind of film Movie Fans don't see much of - in a few different ways. For one thing, this is a prequel to a spinoff. That may not technically be a "first", but I can't think of another example of such a movie. "The Conjuring" horror mystery thrillers brought to the big screen a fictionalized version of the real-life experiences of 1950s-1980s Catholic paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played in the film franchise by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). In 1970, the Warrens investigated the case of a Raggedy Ann doll which was supposedly possessed by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle Higgins. The Warrens declared the doll to be "manipulated by an inhuman presence". They took it and put it in a sealed box in their occult museum in Connecticut where it remains. Filmmakers reimagined Annabelle as a creepy porcelain doll and featured it prominently in 2013's "The Conjuring". In 2014, the spin-off "Annabelle" hit theaters. Three years later the aptly-titled "Annabelle: Creation" tells an origin story that shows how the doll became evil. Another way that this film is unusual (at least, as compared with other horror movies) is that it's actually scary.

The Mullins aren't the family they once were. In the early 1940s, Samuel and Esther (Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto) lost their 7-year-old daughter, Annabelle (Samara Lee), in a tragic accident. As they were still grieving, Esther was seriously injured and has been bedridden ever since. Samuel is only a shell of the happy and loving father and husband he once was. Nevertheless, 12 years after losing their little girl, Samuel and Esther decide that it's time for some good-deed-doing. They open their large farmhouse to six girls and their caregiver, Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman), when the orphanage where they lived closed. The girls range in age from about 7 to 17. The two youngest girls, Linda (Lulu Wilson) and Janice (Talitha Bateman), who wears a leg brace, are especially close, promising they will never allow themselves to be separated. Although they still hope to be adopted, all the girls love their new home.

Yet there's still something "off" about the house - and it gets off-ier as the days go by. Samuel is kind, but gruff and the girls are basically afraid of him. They also wonder about his wife who rings a bell when she needs her husband and never leaves her room. Naturally, the orphans are curious about their new home and they're anxious to explore. As most of them run and play outside, discovering a dark sealed well in the process, Janice tries to enter an upstairs bedroom that Samuel sternly tells her is locked and never to be opened. Of course, strange sounds begin emitting from that room (at night) and when Janice approaches the door to investigate, she finds it unlocked. She enters, looks around and finds a creepy porcelain doll sitting in a chair inside a closet that is wallpapered with pages from a Bible. Janice closes the closet door, but it keeps opening on its own. A ghost-like figure from inside the closet approaches Janet, but then disappears. The scares just build from there and Janice becomes convinced that there is a demonic presence in that room and it wants her soul. She's not wrong.

"Annabelle: Creation" is an engaging and well-crafted fright fest. It's a combination of "Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death" (although this movie doesn't suck), "The Exorcist" and a little "Friday the 13th" - and most will agree that it's an improvement on the first "Annabelle". The screenplay, by Gary Dauberman (writer of the original "Annabelle" and 2017's "It"), gives us well-drawn characters and a mysterious story that keeps us guessing. (Sadly, the movie trailer gives away a major spoiler, but even if you know what that is, there are still enough surprises and twists to keep you entertained.) Incoming director David F. Sandberg ("Lights Out") focuses on old-school scares which mix a few jump scares with disturbing images (made more effective my modern CGI), tension, suspense and even some gore (unlike the previous "Conjuring" films). As many movies as I see (including plenty of horror movies), I have to admit that at several points throughout this one, my mouth was agape (but I deny screaming - and anyone who says I did is probably lying to you). Enhancing those effects are solid performances, especially from LaPaglia and from Bateman, who delivers one of the most adept performances I've ever seen from a child actor in a horror film. Plus, her character's minor disability enhances her vulnerability - and the audience's sense of dread. Unfortunately, some brief scenes at the end feel extraneous, but this is still one legitimately entertaining and scary movie. "A-".