Movie Review: Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Annabelle: Creation is another piece of the puzzle that started with The Conjuring, and it really is a crucial piece of the puzzle that these films have started. At first, it seemed like The Conjuring was going to be a standalone film that revolved around the Warrens and their paranormal investigations. It even appeared that way with the original Annabelle film and even with The Conjuring 2. But after seeing this film, it really sheds a light on a different path that these films are possibly taking collectively, and the Warrens now seem to really only play a small role in it. From the looks of it, these all tie together and may be painting a much bigger picture.
The film is about a group of orphans from a religious orphanage who arrive by bus and are being temporarily housed by a husband and wife at their house out in the boondocks. There is a room upstairs that is off-limits, but one of the girls receives a note under the door the first night they are there saying “find me”, and despite the guy telling her not to, goes into a room that is normally locked. The room belonged to the daughter who had been killed 12 years earlier in an accident. You can probably see where this is going if you watched The Conjuring or the first Annabelle film.
Without giving too much away, this is a really great atmospheric horror film. It has a couple of jump scares, but for the most part, the tension is always building at the right moments to where you are always on the edge of your seat. These types of films are great, and out of the series of films, Annabelle: Creation really brings that creepy atmosphere that The Conjuring really nailed. There were a couple of moments where you wonder “why” but it’s almost impossible to find that perfect balance of great writing and atmosphere these days. Also, make sure to stay through the end of the credits for this one.
To sum it up, it’s really hard to go into too much detail without spoiling anything, but Annabelle: Creation was definitely worth seeing and does a good job of bridging the connection to the other films. We would also recommend watching the other films in this “universe” beforehand, as this one really ties the room together. It’s scary as hell, and we here at MHS can’t wait for the next film in this saga to come out, which will be The Nun in 2018 so we can find out more about what they all mean in the grand scheme of things. This is starting to become a very cool story that seems to transcend the role of the Warrens, but Annabelle: Creation is also a great horror film by itself even if you aren’t familiar with the rest of the films that this ties into. Definitely watch this one in the theater if you get a chance.
For reference, the timeline of these films thus far goes The Nun (2018) Annabelle: Creation, Annabelle, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2.
