Short Attention Span Review - Annabelle: Creation (2017)

Short Attention Span Review - Annabelle: Creation (2017)

How rare is this?  A prequel to a spinoff emerges as a superior film?  No shit?  No shit, peeps.  I liked Annabelle, though it was far from a revelation.  I expected a similar approach this outing for the creepiest doll since Chucky, but Annabelle: Creation aimed higher.  Quite a bit higher, in fact.    It felt a lot more like The Conjuring in terms of scope and impact.  Expertly crafted, thoroughly unnerving, and jam-packed with big scares, I'm ready to classify this as one of the better horror films I have partaken of in recent memory.  From the somber opening, the dread is palpable, and this is one of those fright flicks that only gets harder to endure as it somehow gets everything right.  Good performances, nifty effects, a riveting plot courtesy of a powerful script, an ominous score--it's all there, friends.  There's no time for humor and no need for cheap jolts.  This gruesome conjuring (forgive me) is creepy as hell from start to finish and offers up a few dark surprises along the way.  Bonus points: the inevitable tie-in to Annabelle is executed perfectly.  Highly recommended!

Final Grade: A

Look out!  This one has some serious bite, folks.

 

Short Attention Span Review: Annabelle (2014)

Short Attention Span Review: Annabelle (2014)

Annabelle is a basic bitch, truth be told, but that doesn't render her ineffective.  In fact, I found a lot to like in this simplistic throwback.  A bit classical in its approach, Annabelle doesn't arrive with any grand aspirations.  This one didn't aim to reinvent the wheel, and there were no attempts to ratchet up the tension with a hyper-kinetic array of malevolent jolts.  No, we're dealing with a straight-forward and measured endeavor here.  In that regard, Annabelle reminded me a lot of the claustrophobic character-driven spookshows of yesteryear.  Throw in a tough female lead and some quality effects work, and you're in for a good time at the movies.  Intriguing and creepy in equal doses, this unassuming addition to The Conjuring family won't take you anywhere you haven't been before.  Yet, if you're a fan of the genre, you will get to revisit the old neighborhood in an efficient and moderately unnerving trip into terror.  That's good enough for me.

Final Grade: B-

When things got out of hand, Annabelle's owners reached out to this priest, and he had the situation under control for approximately 90 seconds.