ANNABELLE: CREATION

released ouT Now! 2017 | 15 | blu-ray/dVd/download

Director david F sandberg Cast Talitha bateman, stephanie sigman, miranda otto anthony laPaglia

Another year, another Conjuring film – this time a prequel to a prequel, 2014’s forgettable Annabelle. It’s 1955 and former dollmaker Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia) and his wife Esther (Miranda Otto) run an orphanage in rural America. Sister Charlotte moves in with a group of girls, but it’s not long before one of them, Janice (Talitha Bateman), discovers a sinister doll…

Lights Out director David F Sandberg and cinematographer Maxime Alexandre bring some elegant visuals to an otherwise formulaic tale. The sun-blasted setting provides an effective contrast to the orphanage’s gloomy interiors, and an outdoor cameo from demonic nun Valak provides the film with its eeriest moment. The young cast is strong and sympathetic too, particularly Bateman’s isolated Janice.

Creation does, however, rely far too much on characters making consistently stupid decisions. Lacking any real bite, you’ll have forgotten it before the post-credits tease for next year’s The Nun.

Extras “Directing Annabelle: Creation” is an interesting 42-minute feature by Sandberg. Two of his shorts are also included, as is a director’s commentary. Deleted scenes and a boring EPK piece on the Conjuring universe round out the package. Will Salmon