Annabelle : Creation

ANNABELLE : CREATION

Director : David F. Sandberg

Year : 2017

Genre : Horror

Rating : **1/2

While it may drastically improve on its horrendously dull 2014 predecessor, this unimaginative horror prequel still suffers from the same lazy jump scare tactics and thin characterisations that have unfortunately become symptomatic of the modern franchise horror movie. Set a number of years before the aforementioned 'Annabelle' - a film which was in itself a precursor to James Wans' 2013 smash hit 'The Conjuring' - 'Annabelle : Creation' follows the story of a middle aged toy maker (Anthony LaPaglia) who following the tragic death of his young daughter, permits a group of orphans to live with him and his mysteriously deformed wife (Miranda Otto) in their spooky country house. At first everything seems to be normal with their new home but of course, it isn't long before the titular doll makes an appearance and the six teenage girls are sent running around the house evading the wrath of the possessed mannequin as well as whole host of terrifying apparitions. 

Having helmed the effectively chilling 2016 supernatural shocker 'Lights Out', director David F. Sandberg is no stranger to the world of creeping dread and with the help of some ambient lighting, spooky set designs, a brooding, discordant score by Benjamin Wallfisch and a number of surprisingly strong performances (most notably those of 'Oijua : Origin of Evil's Lulu Wilson and 'The 5th Wave's Talithas Bateman), he manages to create a world than has far more of a sinister atmosphere than that created by the aforementioned 'Annabelle'. The screening I attended was filled with dozens of young couples and nearly every predictable jump scare illicited the expected shrieks and screams, proving that the film works well for its target demographic of easily frightened teenagers. However, while fair-weather cinema-goers may indeed get a great deal of horrific pleasure from 'Annabelle : Creation', hardened horror fans will quickly become exasperated by the many conventions and cliches utilised in this moderately malevolent yet wholly mediocre chiller.