Annabelle: Creation

My childhood with dolls did not last very long, i guess i never really was interested in dolls at all. My sister was, for a while. But i really became skeptical about dolls, ever since i first got to see the horror film Child´s Play from 1988. The Good Guy´s Doll, given the name Chucky, would soon give me a true view how dolls really are. Insane, possessed murdering toys, so of course i would make sure that no dolls would come near my childhood room. Chucky became perhaps the most iconic doll ever, in cinemas worldwide. And the first film actually managed to work well, as a horror film, thanks to director Tom Holland ( perhaps known most for his directorial debut feature film Fright Night ). After Chucky really took the world by storm, we got to see dolls in all kinds of shapes, in new films. One example is the horror film Dolly Dearest, a film i mostly remember from the good old VHS glory days. Not a unique film in any way, but it was nice to see a female doll on a killing spree. Dolls continued to make their way into Hollywood films, and one of better releases has to be director James Wan´s film Dead Silence from 2007. Unfortunately, this film was not a big hit, even though it deserved to be. But the film critics were clear, this was a good old fashioned horror film, worth checking out. In 2013, director James Was was about to make a film that would shock the entire world, known as The Conjuring. Based on the true story, surrounding the paranormal investigators Edward Warren Miney and his wife Lorraine Rita Warren, this film showed one of their most cases. The Conjuring is one of the better horror films i have seen in years, and director James Wan really captured the feeling of solid old school horror, instead of jump scares. One thing we were introduced to in this film, was a possessed doll called Annabelle. The doll had a very disturbing look, and the film managed to make me believe that really good horror films can still be made. A sequel was of course released, and i have to say that even this one was also really good. Now, a spin off film for the doll Annabelle was also released. I personally did not enjoy this film, for many reasons. It just did not work for me. So i was a bit skeptical to hear about a new film about the doll Annabelle. Until i heard that director Adam Sandberg ( who directed the great looking horror film Lights Out ), would do the next chapter of Annabelle. So here we are, with a prequel to the film Annabelle. Is this a much better film than last time, or should we burn every film project with Annabelle underground for good ?

In the year 1943, doll maker Samuel Mullins ( Anthony LaPaglia ) and his wife Esther Mullins ( Miranda Otto ) grieve over the death of their 7 year old daughter Annabelle " Bee " Mullins ( Samara Lee ). An unknown entity, who Samuel and Esther believe to be their daughter´s spirit, turns out to be a demonic presence, convince them to transfer its essence into one of Samuel´s porcelain dolls. Their daughter´s spirit is not inside the doll, instead it is filled with pure evil. Things are becoming really out of hand, when Samuel and Esther decides to stop this entity. They lock the doll inside Bee´s room, covering the door with bible pages, and hire a priest to bless the room, and the house. 12 years later, in the year 1955, The Mullers open their home to help young girls, as an orphanage home. Sister Charlotte ( Stephanie Sigman ), who make sure the girls behave, and do what they are told. Best friends Janice ( Talitha Eliana Bateman ) and Linda ( Lulu Wilson ) promise each that they will always be together, no matter who adopts them. But strange things begin to happen in the house, when Janice finds Annabelle´s room, and open the locked door. 

Since the film Annabelle failed to deliver a solid film, i am pleased to say that Annabelle: Creation is a step into the right direction. You do sense a much more creepy atmosphere, and the frightening scenes work much better than last time. There is no doubt that Swedish director Adam Sandberg knows the horror genre, and how to scare the audience. He knows how to use camera angles, the right locations, and also manage to capture the right horror atmosphere. To compare this film to the first Annabelle movie is very easy, this is a more well made film. The characters, mostly surrounding children in an orphanage, is also a really good idea. When you have children involved in horror, it does get a bit more frightening. The children actors do their performances good, and i have to say that actor Talitha Eliana Bateman really give a strong impact, as the handicapped young girl Janice. All the struggle she goes through in the film, makes you feel more uncomfortable, knowing that she has to fight harder against evil forces. Actor Lulu Wilson ( who did the best performance in the film Ouija: Origin Of Evil ), proves once again why she is such a really good actor. Her character Linda, the best friend of Janice, is also one of the highlights. Nice to see legendary actor Anthony LaPaglia here, as the character Samuel Mullins. He still knows how to make a solid performance. The doll Annabelle, looks creepy as hell of course, and there are some scenes, where you get the sense that she is watching. The most frightening scenes, is when you get to see the possessed attack, unexpected. Is this horror film as scary as The Conjuring ? No, but then again, that is not necessary, because this is not supposed to be the same story. Director Adam Sandberg could be Sweden´s very own version of James Wan, and he surely have proved himself so far. If he will continue to make more solid horror films in the future, we could hope that he also could direct a Swedish horror film one day. We really need a good one over here, they don´t show up very often ( not since Let The Right One In ). Annabelle: Creation is a horror film, for all of you who loved The Conjuring. This is the kind of film that will make you grab the cinema seat, and eventually experience some frightening moments. Until i have seen the remake of Stephen King´s classic book IT, i can tell you that Annabelle: Creation is worth seeing in the dark cinema theatre. This autumn is up for a good start in horror, let´s hope it last all the way until Christmas.

Rating: DDD