2016- a dream year for horror fans all over the world- saw the unexpected success of a sequel to a movie few had cared about, Ouija: Origin of Evil. If there was one movie enlightened by the turnaround made by Origin of Evil, it would be Annabelle: Creation. Part of the widely popular The Conjuring universe, Annabelle: Creation rights the wrongs of its predecessor in grand fashion.
Modern horror cinema is notorious for its over-reliance on jump-scares, while taking the plot oh-so-lightly. Annabelle: Creation is a victim to this formula but packs a punch on many other levels, all the same. Diving deep into the origins of the eponymous creepy doll, we see a straightforward horror story that has no qualms of its limitations. It goes for the audience's jugular with a wealth of frighteningly long set-pieces. In fact, the jump-scares are accompanied by some spectacular build-up. On most occasions, it is the wait that scares, not the scares themselves.
Coming from Lights Out director David F. Sandberg, Annabelle: Creation's strength lies in its director's awareness of the horror format. He is really not doing anything mind-blowing. It is the cumulative effect of a patient setup, a terrific ambience in the form of sounds and scenic design and the heart-stopping sequences of ghastly, cat-and-mouse games between the demons and children of the film, that takes the cake here.
Annabelle: Creation is at its weakest when it gasps for closure and tries to connect itself to the first-part at the same time. Nobody asked for such a contrived end to an otherwise fine film. Also, it has a few unexplained supernatural elements which may work in isolation but not as a complete unit of fear.
Somehow, Annabelle: Creation goes beyond being 'that film with the evil doll'. When a film can thrill you with its fear quotient, who needs a great story? So, if you wish to simply put your heart and nerves to test, Annabelle: Creation will see it fulfilled.
