Annabelle – Tripping Through Gateways

When they announced Annabelle: Creation, I really thought it was a complete start over, ignoring the previously released film which was…not as successful. Since Annabelle was a prequel to the Conjuring (of a sorts) I had not expected a prequel to the prequel. But Annabelle: Creation is connected to it’s predecessor.

Opening in 1943, we meet Doll maker Samuel Mullins and his wife Esther. They adore their young daughter Bee. When she is killed in a tragic accident they are broken hearted. The film jumps ahead twelve years and the Mullins have opened their home up to a Nun and several orphan girls. Samuel still seems a broken man, and explains his wife is unable to get around much, due to an accident years before. There is one rule given by Samuel, to avoid a certain room.

But curiosity gets the best of young Janice, who opens the door to discover a doll sitting in a chair. This soon results in all sorts of strange events, sitings and soon Janice claims to be seeing the ghost of Bee. Things escalate into a frightening fight for survival by the young girls and their nun.

Annabelle: Creation is a marked improvement for this part of the Conjuring Universe. The rural setting creates an eerie sense of isolation that has a lot of impact. There are plenty of jumps and legit scares in the film. The demon tied to the doll is a classic demon you might see in a cathedral painting, which is fitting with the Christianity themed spirituality. The Mullins are a tragic couple who we discover were so overcome in their grief, they allowed darker spiritual forces into their home and paid a terrifying price.

Annabelle was a creepy doll introduced in James Wan’s the Conjuring. Based on a case file from Ed and Lorraine Warren, Annabelle is a doll possessed of a demon. The Warrens have her locked in a glass case to this day. Now, the film made some changes. The real Annabelle doll is a Raggedy Ann doll. Wan opted for an old fashioned hand made porcelain doll look, and it is very, very creepy.

The doll proved popular with audiences and the producers decided to move forward with an “origin” story for Annabelle. Mia and John are expectant parents. John surprises Mia with the Annabelle doll, a doll she has been looking for for a long time.

One night they face a home invasion by satanists. In a violent confrontation, both invaders are killed. Soon, there are mysterious happenings and new mother Mia finds herself having frightening visions. John gets rid of the doll right before they move, but when unpacking in the new apartment, they find Annabelle in a box.

With help from both their local priest and a psychic, the couple try and rid themselves of the doll and it’s demon. The film lacks Wan’s touch, and while the Annabelle doll looks as creepy as ever, the stakes never feel all that high. This is in spite of the fact that we are dealing with evil trying to tear apart a family. Without the anchors of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the film feels lost.

Ed and Lorraine Warren are semi-famous paranormal investigators. They are devout Catholics and very serious about their work. But they were most prominent in the 70’s and 80’s. Ed actually passed away in 2006, but his wife has carried on their work. They were one of many investigators of the home of Amityville Horror fame. James Wan thought their work would make for an interesting horror film.

The Conjuring is based on the case of the Perron Family. They moved into a home in Rhode Island, only to find themselves facing something very dark. The Warrens come in to investigate and discover the family is being tormented by a demonic force, specifically the spirit of a long dead witch. Lorraine has visions of the dead, while Ed and his crew of investigators observe the house.

The Conjuring is very moody and stylized. You feel compassion for this family in the grips of true horror. The Warrens are kind and gentle with the family, but firm with the spirits of the house. Of course, the film versions of Ed and Lorraine are a bit more glamorous, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. And frankly, they seem a little less…unhinged, than the real Ed and Lorraine do in some of the video footage I have seen.

The atmosphere is truly creepy, with many scares throughout the film. But the reason it is so effective in it’s tension is how engaging all the performers are. Wan has produced a solid thriller with the Conjuring. It is interesting to see Wan move from the gore soaked slasher territory of Saw to the more spiritual based (and largely traditional) approach to horror. While the visuals are modern, they manage to evoke the old school haunted house horror films of a bygone era.

Tag: Annabelle

Deadly Dolly Begin Again (Annabelle: Creation, 2017)

Deadly Dolly (Annabelle, 2014)

Home Repairs (The Conjuring, 2013)