Annabelle: Creation

I personally think the sequel is better, more entertaining, and more original than its predecessor. David F. Sandberg is, after all, quite talented when it comes to horror themes. This movie, however, stands or falls by the house the demon is haunting. In addition, it affects mostly children, so we could easily call it a children’s horror movie. Unfortunately, everybody acts as if they belonged in a mental institute, and overall, nothing makes sense. The resulting film is thus quite awkward. From a technical standpoint, it is alright. (03.01.2019)

David Sandberg is becoming another guarantee of quality, because his sequel to Annabelle takes on a new dimension and is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. From start to finish, a solid, intense two-hour haunting with great music, solid camera work, innovative haunted attractions and solid scares. I also liked the decent performances, especially from the kids, the great retro atmosphere, the two Easter eggs and the nice callback to the first episode at the end. What disappointed me, though, is the finale, the weakest part of the whole film. The film is more or less intensely haunting throughout, but always in one wave, you don’t even realise that the finale is already there, because compared to the previous attractions it is no different and doesn't get any more intense, which is a bit disappointing. I give a big thumbs up for the chair raiding on the stairs and the small moving elevator, which created a great atmosphere. Surprisingly there was room for a bit of gore, which again I commend. So I'm satisfied, Annabelle 2 definitely won’t be missing among the this year’s top and for ghost story fans must be a high standard. PS: The scarecrow is cool and calls for a spin-off. 80% (11.08.2017)

Taken as a whole, I could have a million reservations about it. In terms of plot/narration, it’s a very unimaginative prequel, with a course that can be anticipated by anyone who has ever watched at least one or two ghost stories. The Conjuring Universe so far is not overflowing with original themes. But at the level of the individual scenes, it does work, surprisingly, thanks to Sandberg’s being an excellent director, and I hope that he will stay in the genre and start working on more progressive ideas. In the first Annabelle, only the scary bits worked a little (in terms of craftsmanship), in the second one, not only the scary bits work, but also the interest in the characters, which is far deeper. I’m satisfied, but I think last year’s Lights Out was a bit better. The flash in the shape of the real Annabelle in the end was cool. (18.08.2017)

Apart from the main storyline, The Conjuring is more of a seedbed of clichés with a sloppy build up. The problem with the second Annabelle is that it stays with things for too long or too short of a time. In any case, how it leads the puppet figures purposefully from jump scare to jump scare is hilariously transparent and spoils all my pleasure. A toy shop without any imagination. (12.09.2018)

Sandberg is amazing. While the story itself brings nothing new to the table, the talented filmmaker wrings from each scene the most honest dose of dread we've ever seen in the James Wan genre, playing with restless camera angles, flawlessly blending sudden cuts with unnerving sound, and delivering interesting ideas that don't allow Annabelle to be shoved into the shadow of its more famous cousin The Conjuring. On the contrary, thanks to the more harrowing pace, the sometimes surprising brutality and the character of the evil, which does not cease to frighten even for a moment and appears only minimally physically, I consider this horror film to be the best part of the emerging ghost universe so far. P.S.: Unfortunately, the second time around the effect weakened a lot and the narrative emptiness of the stylistically dominating work became apparent, which can only entertain with individual attractions at the expense of maintaining coherent curiosity and suspense. The next time, please, without compromise and without kids. (11.08.2017)