Annabelle: Creation

The premise: Toy maker Sam Mullins and wife Esther lose their 7-year-old Annabelle in a tragic accident. Flash forward 12 years to a nun and her clan of six orphans who find a new orphanage in the home of the Mullins. It is important to note that in the first film and in the small story of The Conjuring, the doll is a lot more scary. Here, the doll is newly crafted and does nothing more but sit; it does get moved by the demon, but the doll itself isn't scary and is merely a conduit for the evil spirit.

The first half of the film concentrates on the girls feeling out the house and there are some clues that something isn't right, of course, like Janice, who uses a special crutch due to Polio, seeing a shadowy figure and hearing whispering and one of the girls catching a glimpse through the bedroom door that Esther is an invalid and something is obscure about her face. But it isn't until the 2nd half that things get to feel unsettling and this is where we are exposed to a number of eerie instances, one almost right after another, which makes for great suspense. Because the story is set in the 50's, we get a fresh haunted house feel that is unaffected by modern-day glitches like self-centered teens and technological invasions. In lieu of those things, we are given simplicity in both the interactions between the girls and the way they find joy in just running around outside.

There are many interesting elements to this piece. We have several conduits through which the demon, "Annabelle", frightens us. Some of these effects are not entirely new, but many of them do refreshingly build upon what we have already seen, though the effects move too swiftly at times.

Another important aspect rests on faith. There are numerous points in the plot and heavily placed inside of multiple dialogues where it is clear that God is the centerpiece. Because of this, however, it is difficult to understand when Janice becomes possessed by the doll because, as the nun stresses, her faith, despite her physical handicap, is stronger than the others; this is a weaker point of the film. Another problem is that no one can empathize with the Mullins for having lost their daughter. The husband is very gruff and distant with everyone and the wife is an invalid--and why this is the case is never explained, another fault.

Side note: Because I grew up Catholic, I was surprised by a scene where Sister Charlotte is listening to one of the girl's confessions as they sit back to back; as far as I knew, only a Priest heard one's confession and from behind a screen.

Side note: Because I first saw Lulu Wilson as a creepy demon-possessed girl in Ouija: Origin of Evil, I had a hard time embracing her as a sweet little girl; I kept expecting her to be the one who got taken over by this dark spirit.

Overall, this is a well-made movie that keeps you intrigued. It has a lot going on that makes the story line an interesting horror mystery.

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