Did “Annabelle Creation” strike fear in the hearts of viewers this summer? Once again, the creators of this now classic horror franchise have aimed to grasp our attention with frights, thrills and everything else in between. The film is the genesis of the Annabelle story.
It takes place during the 50’s/60’s era and is centered around a doll maker (Samuel Mullins) and his wife (Esther Mullins) who undergo the tragic loss of their seven-year-old daughter in a car accident. Twelve years later, the couple opens their home to a nun and several young girls from an orphanage. While staying with the Mullins, curiosity strikes the girls due to peculiar circumstances, such as Mrs. Mullins’ mysterious bedridden behavior, the accident from 12 years prior and their semi-eclectic living conditions. Although everyone in the Mullins residence is interested to know more about them, one young lady (Janice) literally walks into their closed door and finds out what awaits on the other side of their story.
Although heavily impacted by the polio disease, Janice, played by actress Talitha Eliana Bateman, does not let her circumstances stop her from discovering why everything’s the way it is in their new home. One night. Janice decides to open the forbidden door and discovers what has been hiding behind it: an elaborate doll house and a life size doll seated behind a scripture-covered closet door.
From there, the audience’s response in the theatre says it all. Everything from snarky laughs, jumpy movements from startling scenes and moments of pure silence could be seen and heard throughout the auditorium. During the film, we could all clearly see some more than a few questionable decisions being made. The film takes its audience on the journey along with the children, the Mullins and the nun who follow the the mysterious path to discover who Annabelle is.
The film is just the right amount of chilling without being too scary for those who cannot quite handle frights and thrills. For die-hard horror buffs, this movie may or may not encompass the amount of consistent adrenaline you desire to get from a classic horror film. I myself was not blown away by the scare tactics, and this is coming from someone who never fails to walk out during a horror movie trailer.
With that being said, the pleasure gained from watching “Annabelle Creation” sincerely depends on the individual and the level of fear, suspense and mystery they expect from a film of this genre. If mellow, yet suspenseful and entertaining, yet mediocre is your thing, this film is definitely made for you.
Verdict: Annabelle Creation isn’t the scariest film of all time, but will most definitely keep viewers entertained with suspense and constant questioning of the character’s decision-making skills. Even as a person who is traditionally frightened by horror movies. I wasn’t all that scarred and luckily, flashbacks did not pop up in my head in the middle of the night. With the ambiance, the snarky remarks from fellow viewers and Annabelle’s motionless facial features, all I could do was laugh at the end.
Grade: B-
