Annabelle: Creation (2017)

Annabelle: Creation

Starring: Lulu Wilson, Talitha Bateman, Miranda Otto, Anthony LaPaglia

Director: David F. Sandberg

IMDB rate: 6,6

My rate: 7

Long time no see! Will I have been gone from this blog, I certainly did not give up on watching horror movies. Does this mean I am back? I have no clue really, we'll see about that I guess :). This review will be about the prequel of Annabelle (which is the prequel of The Conjuring), this being titled Annabelle: Creation. I did not like the first movie that much. It had a lot to offer but the execution of it was rather meh. The sequel actually was surprisingly good compared to it. Here's why....

I felt like Annabelle: Creation had a much more thought out plot compared to the first part. This actually is a prequel to the first movie where you find out about the origins of the evil doll. I however have to admit that the beginning is a bit questionable. Of course the couple where the kids are staying have a secret room no one may enter and of course someone enters it unleashing all evil. It's a bit predictable, eh? I however did like to get to know the story behind the doll. However, I wish we got to see a bit more of the time in between the accident of little Bree and the moment the orphans enter this house. I felt this was rushed too much and it put too much focus on the "now", meaning it still doesn't describe the origins of Annabelle completely. 

I was quite impressed with the acting in this movie. Lulu Wilson (Linda) and Talitha Bateman (Janice) make two excellent friends. Lulu Wilson, also known for her role in Ouija: Origins of Evil, does a great job as young Linda. Mind you, all the viewers fate has to be put in this little girl to save her best friend Janice. I mostly was impressed with Talitha Bateman though. While her character was written very smartly already, she adds even more into the little Janice, who you can't help feel sorry for even though she strictly asks for no compassion because of her injury. They both add a great deal of character to this film.

What I liked most about Annabelle: Creation is the fact that it doesn't rely heavily on the jumpscares. Now the first Annabelle movies definitely tries to creep people out by putting in dumb loud noises and sudden things appearing in the screen. But this mostly just means you got scared of the sound, not of what is happening in the actual movie. And it solely means you are scared to get scared of another sound once again. In my opinion it is much better if a movie tries to make you sit on the edge of your seat because there is so much tension going on. This is exactly what Annabelle: Creation does. Overall, I would definitely recommend giving this movie a chance, even (or especially!) when you did not like the first Annabelle movie.