Write a commentAbout 40 miles west of where I live, there's an abandoned Girl Scout camp. From what I understand, the camp closed sometime in the early 90s.
Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I reached out to a friend, asking them if they wanted to go exploring with me. They agreed.
My friend and I walked around the area for quite a bit. There was a lot to explore. It was the afternoon, but the sun began to set. I made it clear I didn't want to be too far in when the sun began to set. My friend agreed. Despite the fact we couldn't see anyone else, we felt like we were being watched.
That's my one and only camp experience. I never formally attended a summer camp or any kind of camp. The concept of it, even when I was much younger, unsettled me. Too much unknown, too many strangers, unfamiliar location.
While the primary location in David F. Sandberg's "Annabelle: Creation" is an orphanage and not a camp, there are a lot of commonalities including an isolated location. A new group of young girls are brought to an orphanage, run by a man (LaPaglia) and his wife (Otto). A dollmaker by trade, the man grieves over the death of his child, even a dozen years later. What kind of doll, you might ask. If you're asking this question in earnest, you may need to re-read the title.
"Creation" is a significant step above the previous "Annabelle" entry, though still doesn't reach the heights of the two "Conjuring" films. Here, Sandberg ("Lights Out") seemingly takes notes from the "Conjuring" films as far as pacing of scenes. Sandberg doesn't discount the characters over the scares. He, like Wan before him, understands the importance of the character building scenes.
The two leads (Bateman and Wilson) are both talented actors. They're able to convey a wide range of pretty complex emotions for their respective ages. There are some scenes where Bateman even has to be threatening and does so effectively. Acting in a movie like this cannot be easy, either emotionally or physically. That said, these two (as well as most of the cast) are more than up for the challenge.
A big problem with "Annabelle" was the overreliance on Annabelle as a prop. The doll shows up and it gets old. In "Creation", they find clever and creative ways to use the prop but also keep it exciting. As we find out in "Annabelle Comes Home", Annabelle is a conduit for other spirits. "Creation" explores that to some degree, giving us more variety in the scares.
"Annabelle: Creation" is much more in line with the talent of James Wan and the quality of the first two "Conjuring" films. While not a perfect film, it secures the legacy of Annabelle without having to resort to cheap jump scares and gore.
If, by chance, I ever came across information that the orphanage from "Annabelle: Creation" was available to tour, I would do everything I could to avoid it. The Girl Scout camp was enough. I don't need to be hanging around anywhere I know for a fact is cursed.
No, thank you.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Directed by David F. Sandberg
Cast: Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto, Grace Fulton
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for horror violence and terror.
Rating (out of ****): ***
"Annabelle: Creation" is available on HBO Max with a subscription and on all the major streaming platforms for rent or purchase.
