"Annabelle: Creation" (2017)

Rating: R:15

Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller

Directed By: David F. Sandberg

Written By: Gary Dauberman

Released: August 11^th, 2017

Runtime: 109 minutes

Studio: New Line Cinema

Summary:

Former toy maker Sam Mullins and his wife, Esther, are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into their California farmhouse. Years earlier, the couple's 7-year-old daughter Annabelle died in a tragic car accident. Terror soon strikes when one child sneaks into a forbidden room and finds a seemingly innocent doll that appears to have a life of its own.

Review:

I’d heard very good things about this film since its release which I found intriguing since I heard very little regarding the other films in the Annabelle/Conjuring series. I watched The Conjuring a while ago and honestly didn’t think a whole lot of it, so I was curious to see how this faired. Was it really as good as all the hype seemed to be promising? I decided to give it a go. 

It started off a little bit slow but then once we met the doll things started to pick up and soon a few jump scares were thrown in amidst the mounting tension. A lot of plot points are in keeping with the standard haunted house procedure, so many scary moments are to be expected if you, like me, watch a lot of horror films of this nature. But they still keep you second guessing and there is enough suspense built to make sure your heart stops now and again!

In any case, let’s be honest – dolls are creepy. There is something especially unnerving about china dolls. (And that is why the ride "It's A Small World After All" doesn't feel as innocent as one might have intended...) The fact that Annabelle is never seen physically moving on camera gives her an extra eeriness each time she’s seen in a new position. I guess if we saw her moving (in the same way we see Chucky scurrying around the house in Child’s Play) it takes from the suspense and the unknown. 

Having seen this film, I would be more inclined to give the original Annabelle a try. I had fun watching this film. One of the better horror films I’ve seen in a while.

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