There are very few horror films that eschew the reckless behaviour of its characters like The Babadook (2014) and Under the Shadows (2016). If something is going bump in the night, you do not bravely go check it out. When that door is locked, it ought to stay that way. Annabelle: Creation is not one of those films. The film’s characters dance on every last nerve. They revel in and then regret doing what they shouldn’t. This pretty much shapes the latest installment of The Conjuring series.
Twelve years after losing their daughter to a car accident, dollmaker Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia) and his wife Esther (Miranda Otto) open their home to six orphaned girls and a nun, Sister Charlotte. Days after they move in, polio-afflicted Janice (Talitha Bateman) wanders into the Mullins’ dead daughter’s room and unleashes a demonic spirit trapped in her doll, Annabelle. Once possessed, demonic Janice sets her glowing eyes on the rest of the inhabitants of the home, especially little Linda (Lulu Wilson).
The premise isn’t terribly original: an old haunted house is the perfect receptacle for sinister paranormal activities. David F Sandberg -- known for his successfully scary Lights Out (2016) -- brings his expertise to the arena. There are some predictable frights and Sandberg knows how to stretch one thrill into a million with deft camerawork. Without realising it, you’ll often hold your breath. An eerie soundtrack -- including an old world rendition of You are my Sunshine only amplifies the atmosphere that Sandberg creates.
Despite what works in Annabelle: Creation ’s favour, the film can get predictable, often even descending into camp. In one scene, a panicked character rushes to tighten a bulb when a reanimated scarecrow is advancing toward her. Plus, you can look the demon square in the eye without a single wince. And this writer is a coward when it comes to horror films. Not revealing the evil would have been a far more effective route. As for the performances, only Bateman is brilliant, transforming from the meek and modest orphan into possessed Janice out for blood. No one else stands out enough.
In The Conjuring universe, Annabelle: Creation is the weakest link riding on the success of its previous films. It certainly answers the demon doll’s origin story, but it does so with unnecessary froth. Hopefully, The Nun which comes out next year can do better.
(The article first appeared in The Hindu's CinemaPlus.)