The creepy doll is back in this prequel to the first Annabelle movie. In the 1940s, the Annabelle doll is created, but after the dollmaker’s daughter, Annabelle, dies in a tragic accident, the doll becomes possessed by a demonic spirit. Flash forward 12 years, the dollmaker and his wife take in a nun and six girls after a nearby orphanage closes down. One of the young girls finds the doll in a locked room and, naturally, things turn demonic.

The cast was superb with Anthony LaPaglia in a small role as the dollmaker and Lulu Wilson from the Becky movies as one of the orphan girls. Also of note was Talitha Bateman as the Janice character who showcased her abilities with much fear and great malevolence where required.

The movie manages to fill in the history of the Annabelle doll in a satisfying way. The bookending directly into the first Annabelle movie was done very well. The downside was that the formula for these movies is starting to wear a little thin. It’s not that that is bad necessarily, but it can be distracting and ultimately, takes me out of the story. Particularly, I took issue with the third act where it abruptly fizzled out after the usual build up.

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