Annabelle: Creation is a welcome addition to the cinematic universe created by James Wan (director of The Conjuring and Annabelle), not to be missed by horror movie buffs. This horror universe is not far behind the Marvel and DC CUs, complete with origin stories, recurring characters and call backs to real life (keep an eye out for the Raggedy Ann doll, a nod to the true story behind Annabelle) – there are even two post-credit scenes, so don’t be in a hurry to leave once the credits start to roll!

It’s not bad, it’s just same old, same old.

If you’re a sucker for horror movies and follow the Conjuring series from the first part, then this movie is for you. Do not expect anything extraordinary – watch the film, get scared and come back.

On the production front, director Sandberg along with production designer Jennifer Spence make great use of the eerily vast layout of the Mullins’ farmhouse just as director Wan did with the haunted home at the centre of “The Conjuring”. But it is clustered – Annabelle’s room, the barn, the well in the courtyard and the unexplained lift shaft in the farm house that is used as the focal area of action and are well-exploited.
Overall, the film is visually well-captured but the spirit is missing.

One can’t help but feel that Sandberg did this film as a favor to do the DC Shazam movie. In any case he’s one of the most exciting new filmmakers out there but any studio that works with him needs to give him better writers to back his vision and passion. The only interesting aspect of this film is the post credits scene featuring Valak from Conjuring 2 – let’s hope he gets a better spin-off than this.

While Annabelle: Creation is by no means a perfect film, and nor is Sandberg the best director currently working in the genre – he doesn’t, for instance, have the sixth sense of a M Night Shyamalan or Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, represent) – he has made a film that’s a vast improvement over its predecessor, and I would go so far to say, even the two Conjuring movies.

Having watched the previous films will help, but the movie is a legitimate standalone chiller. If there were a Horror For Dummies guidebook, Annabelle: Creation would make for a good chapter in it.