Annabelle Creation Review: The ‘Rogue One’ of the Conjuring Universe

Warning: This is the movie review of Annabelle Creation. Annabelle Creation, a horror movie! Need there be anything else I should warn you about?

(“Raggedy Ann doll” by Prisencolin is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

Annabelle Creation is the 4th instalment in James Wan’s Conjuring universe and is an attempt to salvage something from the doomed first part. The movie is based on how the devil himself took hold of the Annabelle doll and what its first haunting looked like.

The movie starts off with a happy family meeting with a tragedy and from there, it moves onto show a group of orphan girls coming to live with the family in a house with literally no neighbours. And this gives you a vibe similar to the first Conjuring. But that’s where Annabelle Creation (hereon referred to as AC) moves onto its own path, giving me points to criticize and scenes to make me have heart-attacks.

The beauty with the first Conjuring was the fact that for a long time in the movie, it didn’t show us anything, it only gave us the feeling of an impending doom. It was this anticipation that made the movie so great and horrifying. However, AC doesn’t resort to that. From the first night onwards it decides to show us everything, decides to use jump-scares and honestly, I felt a bit gutted. Something popping in your screen suddenly is bound to make you feel scared because that is the body’s natural response, perfected over years and years of dwelling in the caves. So, I feel a bit disappointed when movies completely rely on it, but when I accepted AC for what it was, I realized it was actually great.

The horror show was far better than the previous ‘Annabelle’ and ‘The Conjuring 2’, with possibly more scares per second than I have ever seen in a horror film. It had a really good story too, which in the end fit so perfectly with the rest of the universe that I was left positively surprised and speechless. Plus, it made me stick to the title which I chose for this review.

The third act of this movie is a slight disappointment though as it gives it a slasher film vibe. But the horror still continues alongside that and makes you forgive the movie.

AC was a solid effort from director David Sandberg’s side, making it the best entry in the Conjuring universe after the first Conjuring. A good overall acting performance by the cast ensures that you can immerse yourself fully in the story.

In the end, Annabelle Creation was a rare gem in the horror genre, making it a must-watch. It had its negative points, but which movie doesn’t? So, if you still haven’t seen it, then what are you doing? Waiting for the doll to knock on your window at night? Or waiting for Valak to pop into a painting of yours?