“Annabelle: Creation” is a prequel to the 2014 horror film Annabelle, and it is also a prequel to the Conjuring universe. That means it is a movie about a doll, a haunted orphanage, and a family who stumbles into something far worse than a broken toy. It is also a film that wants to be scary but spends too much of its runtime being patient, slow, and dull. The result is a movie that works better as a setup for future horrors than as a stand-alone fright.
The film opens with a wealthy couple, Samuel Mullins and his wife, building a doll named Annabelle for a museum exhibit. Their daughter dies in a tragic accident, and the grief drives them to build the doll as a memorial. Years later, the Mullinses open an orphanage on the property, and the doll becomes a centerpiece of the home. When the orphans start dying in mysterious ways, a nun named Sister Mary Rose arrives to investigate.
The setup is simple and effective. A doll built out of grief, a house full of children, and a mystery that refuses to explain itself until the very end. The film takes its time getting there, though, and that patience is both its strength and its weakness.
Trailer, via Warner Bros..
The Doll and the Orphanage
The doll is the obvious draw, and the filmmakers know it. Annabelle sits in a glass case in the parlor, a porcelain face that never moves but somehow commands the room. The movie shows her being built, shows her being displayed, and shows her being feared by the children. That repetition works in the first half of the film, building dread through familiarity. By the second half, it starts to feel like filler.
The orphanage itself is the other key setting. It is a sprawling Victorian house, dark and dusty, with rooms that seem to stretch into infinity. The filmmakers use the space well, letting corridors and staircases hide unseen threats. There is a sense of place here that is rarer than it should be in a film this genre. It is a haunted house that feels lived-in, not just a set dressing.
The children add texture. They are not just victims; they are curious, angry, and sometimes cruel to each other. That gives the film a human center, even when the supernatural elements take over. The nun, Sister Mary Rose, is the moral center of the story. She is skeptical of the supernatural but willing to listen to the children, and her presence gives the film a grounding that pure horror often lacks.
“The doll is a symbol of loss, and loss is what drives the whole thing.”
What Works
The performances are solid across the board. Alanna Masterson plays Linda, a young girl who sees things the others do not. Mckenna Grace plays Susan, a child who is both brave and terrified. Lili Reinhart plays a teenager named Alice, who is the closest thing the film has to a modern, cynical lead. All three hold their own against the doll and the supernatural forces around them.
The direction is steady. John R. Leonetti, who also directed the original Annabelle, knows how to frame a horror scene. He uses shadows well, lets the camera linger on empty hallways, and cuts away from the monster at the right moment. The film is not flashy, but it is never boring. That steadiness is a virtue in a genre that often relies on shock over craft.
The Pacing Problem
The pacing is the problem. The film runs nearly two hours, and the middle section drags badly. There are stretches where nothing happens for several minutes except a child walking down a corridor or a doll sitting in a chair. The tension builds slowly, and some viewers will lose patience before it pays off.
What Doesn’t Work
The biggest flaw is the lack of urgency. The film is a prequel, so it does not need to resolve anything. That freedom allows it to stretch out its scenes, but it also removes any stakes for the characters. We know the doll is dangerous, we know the orphanage is cursed, and we know the ending will tie back to the original Annabelle. None of that urgency carries over to the screen.
The jump scares are frequent but ineffective. A shadow moving across a wall, a hand reaching out of a closet, a doll turning its head. These moments are meant to startle, but they happen so often that they stop feeling frightening. The film tries to build a mounting sense of dread, but the constant interruptions break that mood before it can settle.
The final act is a mess. The reveal about Annabelle’s origins is rushed, and the resolution feels like a placeholder rather than a conclusion. The film ends with a cliffhanger that sets up the next installment, which is fine for a franchise but frustrating for a standalone story. The viewer is left with questions that the film itself does not care to answer.
The Verdict
“Annabelle: Creation” is a competent horror film that is let down by its own ambition. It is a prequel that works better as a setup than as a story in its own right. The doll is terrifying, the house is well-made, and the children are genuinely upsetting to watch. But the pacing, the pacing, the pacing. It is a film that needs to hurry up and scare me.
The score for “Annabelle: Creation” is 6.2 out of 10. That rating reflects a film that is solid but flawed, a movie that earns its keep but does not earn a recommendation beyond curiosity about the Conjuring universe. It is a film that will please fans of the genre and frustrate anyone looking for a tight, scary experience.
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