Annabelle: Creation - I never saw the first Annabelle movie, but from what I've heard, I didn't miss much. This one, however, felt right at home in the world of The Conjuring.
There is a definite creep factor to this film. While the Child's Play movies had a terrorizing murderer for a doll, what you have in Annabelle is something far more sinister and evil. There are of course the obligatory jump scares, but the mood that is prevalent throughout the latter half of the film is what sets it apart from the pretenders.
The movie has two young leads, the strongest of the two being Talitha Bateman, who plays Janice. She's given a range of emotional beats to hit and physical elements to sell, and she nails them all. Her talent shows beyond her years.
The group dynamic of the girls is fleshed out far better in this movie than in The Beguiled from back in June. There is still one girl that serves no purpose, only delivering two lines, but it's none the less a major improvement.
The story arc of the mother, however, never resonated with me. It feels like an afterthought that was thrown in to pad the overall runtime. The only thing she brings is exposition, not really having an impact on furthering the story itself.
Due to Get Out and It Comes at Night not technically being horror, and Rings being the 2nd worst movie of the year so far, Annabelle: Creation wears this year's crown for scary movies, at least for now. We'll have Jigsaw, Flatliners, and Happy Death Day up to bat soon enough. But c'mon, you and I both know that Pennywise will float right to the top of that list come September. Until then, Annabelle has a story to tell. 7.25/10
There is a definite creep factor to this film. While the Child's Play movies had a terrorizing murderer for a doll, what you have in Annabelle is something far more sinister and evil. There are of course the obligatory jump scares, but the mood that is prevalent throughout the latter half of the film is what sets it apart from the pretenders.
The movie has two young leads, the strongest of the two being Talitha Bateman, who plays Janice. She's given a range of emotional beats to hit and physical elements to sell, and she nails them all. Her talent shows beyond her years.
The group dynamic of the girls is fleshed out far better in this movie than in The Beguiled from back in June. There is still one girl that serves no purpose, only delivering two lines, but it's none the less a major improvement.
The story arc of the mother, however, never resonated with me. It feels like an afterthought that was thrown in to pad the overall runtime. The only thing she brings is exposition, not really having an impact on furthering the story itself.
Due to Get Out and It Comes at Night not technically being horror, and Rings being the 2nd worst movie of the year so far, Annabelle: Creation wears this year's crown for scary movies, at least for now. We'll have Jigsaw, Flatliners, and Happy Death Day up to bat soon enough. But c'mon, you and I both know that Pennywise will float right to the top of that list come September. Until then, Annabelle has a story to tell. 7.25/10