SPOILER DISCUSSION

1.Funnily enough, Mike Flanagan faced a similar situation to Sandberg’s when it came to crafting a sequel-prequel to a horror entry with less than stellar reviews. Flanagan’s Ouija: Origin of Evil faced the task of providing a background story for Ouija, one of the least creative and compelling horror films of the 2010’s.

His efforts feel like a more resounding success because the narrative is so occupied on setting up a primary group of intertwined characters. Every character’s motivation felt grounded both singularly and in relation to one another. The haunting they face, while rooted in an absurd base, also touches on their collective trauma; consequently, the supernatural happenings have a weight to them because its clear where they’re leading up to.

While Creation sets up why the blood from the kidnapper in Annabelle revitalized the doll and set events in turn, the demonic entity has little relationship with any of the characters or backstory outside of being a generic evil. It’s hard relating all the different manifestations of horror – the black base demon, the Annabelle doll proper, the possessed Janice, the scarecrow- and making sense of the intent behind the madness.

The most fundamental issue presented is why the possessed Janice doesn’t quickly dispatch of everyone in the household and move on. Now that Annabelle has presumably retrieved the soul it wanted from the start, it’s confusing as to why it meanders around chasing the girls in a variety of manner. The lack of meaningful damage with the scarecrow feels like the most damning indictment of this.

2.I’ve been hammering in the disparity in the demon’s strength because if the story had been consistent in how damned the situation was, it would have had a heavy impact. Sandberg constantly showcases objects of faith losing their power in the face of the demon and effectively undermines the notion of a divine power that can save the situation.

The Annabelle doll sits in a consecrated room and is still able to lure Janice into the room with ease. It manifests its power as soon as the girls get to the property, suggesting that the blessed room could only hold back the evil for so long. Later on, Janice is pushed into the dollmaking room by a demonic nun – a reference to Sister Charlotte’s photograph from earlier. The photograph demonstrates that the demonic can already infiltrate holy ground without being detected, so the transition from Sister Charlotte pushing Janice out to to the demonic sister pushing Janice down represents a nihilistic drive.

This pessimism extends to both the Mullins’ deaths. Samuel holds a crucifix in his hand and the demonic entity slowly breaks the fingers holding it; the holy object has no power. Later on, it crucifies Esther in a perverse fashion, nailing her hands to the wall with crosses as she lays ripped in half.

Finally, Janice manages to escape the consecrated room in spite of Sister Charlotte’s quick thinking and temporary rosary qua prison; the presence of the divine seemingly does nothing.

These moments suggest the inescapable nature of the evil and makes the threat of the doll suggested in the first film justified; Annabelle is a presence to be feared and is completely in control of every situation.

Yet, we’re supposed to believe this entity doesn’t want to or is unable to kill Janice’s peers. The hesitation in violence could have been explained as Janice fighting back but the narrative doesn’t even partially hint towards this explanation, so the discrepancy in consequence feels particularly jarring.

3.The film starts in the dollmaking room with Samuel crafting the soon-to-be possessed doll. Later on Janice is wheeled into this same room and is turned into an flesh doll to be possessed by the same spirit.

This creative link between doll-making makes this moment from Annabelle all the better. The essence which the demon in the doll forced into Janice’s body leaks out of Janice’s corpse back into the doll – agency is mobilized and transferred. This transfer occurs in the newborn’s room – a fitting area for a rebirth.

While I enjoy the idea of the doll metaphor, it does make the cult aspect of Annabelle more confusing. If the demonic entity had already gotten into Janice, why would it want to participate in demonic sacrifice in seeming regards to itself and seek out another soul? Granted, this feels like something Creation never could have fixed and is more an indictment of the first movie.

4.At the 51-minute mark, Sandberg goes back to the earlier composition of Janice next to the darkness encroaching the staircase at the top of the floor. Previously, this scene showcased Annabelle hiding in the darkness, so we’re conditioned to expect the demon to come from this same location when Janice is being chased by it. The pause on the frame builds up the tension as we wait. But then, Annabelle is grabbed from the top of the frame and pulled out. It’s unexpected and plays on expectations well.