Reviews: Annabelle 2 (2017) Movie Review
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Demons
Subgenres: Demons, Featured Supernatural, Supernatural, Desolate, Dolls, Orphans
Our review of Annabelle 2 (2017) dives into the story, the scares, and whether it truly delivers the horror fans crave.
Annabelle: Creation (2017) is a rated R 1h 49 min American supernatural horror mystery thriller that is the prequel to Annabelle (2014) and is the fourth installment in The Conjuring series/franchise. The movie had an estimated budget of $15 million and grossed over $164 million at the box office. The film was shot in Los Angeles, California, USA; Simi Valley, California, USA and Burbank, California, USA and principal photography began on June 27, 2016, and concluded on August 15, 2016.
Director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out (2016), Lights Out (2013), Attic Panic (2015)) did a fantastic job executing this excellent scary movie that was intense with a few jump scares. David Sandberg mentioned that actress Stephanie Sigman (Sister Charlotte), was "a little bit freaked out by that doll" and requested for their set to be blessed because she heard that the set for The Conjuring 2 was blessed by a priest.
Annabelle: Creation delivers some decent shocks, genuine surprises, and was wickedly terrifying with effective scares although the plot needed a bit of help. The atmosphere flowed well with the movie, and the acting was superb which helps the movie to improve over its predecessor. There was one nude scene from the torso down, but there was extreme violence along with gore.
Dollmaker Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia - Without a Trace (2002-2009), Lantana (2001), Empire Records (1995)) and his wife, Esther only child, 7-year-old Annabelle died in a tragic accident in 1943. Esther (Miranda Otto - War of the Worlds (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), What Lies Beneath (2000)) and Samuel did the unthinkable. They took the advice of an unknown spirit whom they believe is their daughter and transferred her essence into one of the porcelain dolls Samuel has handcrafted.
It was a little too late when the couple realized that it was a demon they transferred to the doll and not their daughter, and that demon is looking for a human host. They decided to get rid of the doll by putting it in the walls and covering it up. The couple opens their home to Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman - Spectre (2015), Miss Bala (2011), Pioneer (2013)) and about six orphanage girls after their orphanage closed down. One of the little girls discovered Annabell’s room to be mysteriously unlocked and found the keys to the closet and opens it - we all can guess what follows, so see the movie at your earliest convenience to join the adventure.
I wish the director had shown Annabelle walking or talking because that alone would have been glorious - well it all depends on how it would have been done if it was done. I dislike that she appears and disappears whenever without any movements. The other demonic apparitions including a scarecrow, a witch-demon, and possessed kids were effective. The cinematography, visuals, music, successful scares, intense scenes, tension, and suspense all worked well although the storyline needed some help. I cannot wait to see Annabelle: Creation again in the dark in the late night because it was an incredibly intense feast.
A few things this film contains are: possessed doll, evil doll, scene after end credits, corpse, devil, blood, creepy doll, evil spirit, possessed by evil spirit, possessed girl, demon, scarecrow, crucifix, haunting, terror and the death of a child.
Similar films like Annabelle 2 can be found in demon movies sub-genre(s), check them out for more movies like Annabelle 2.
Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- Annabelle 2 Rating Scores
- Our Score: 7/10
- Overall Score: 6.72/10
- IMDB: 6.5/10
- MetaCritic: 6.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 7.0/10
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Related Article: ANNABELLE CREATION (2017) Ending Explained + Conjuring Series Connections Video
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