But when the star of your horror film is an inanimate object, you just can't afford to have a slow opening act. The problem rests almost solely in the dull first 30 minutes of this film.Look, I'm all for slow burn horror movies. The characters make extremely poor choices, but even that is to be expected. There are cringy lines here and there, but that is to be expected. The writing here is not bad by any means. All this to say, I'm going to go easy on the faults of Annabelle: Creation's script. Even the best of the genre still have the occasional cringe-worthy line or plot hole The Conjuring 2, I'm looking at you. The pair definitely do the best they can with what they are given however, adding a great deal of character to this film. The bar is low when it comes to horror film scripts. In fact, there were quite a few moments when I felt as though these two actresses deserved a better script. Luckily, the two youngest actresses here–Wilson and Bateman–practically act circles around the rest of the cast.
As in most horror movies, most of the scares are seen through the eyes of the children in the film.
Horror largely relies on the talent of the director, and this is a case of the direction only elevating the film. While Lulu Wilson is a definitely a standout in her second straight horror movie role, her counterpart Talitha Bateman also gives a great performance. Sandberg thankfully stamps what could have been run-of-the- mill horror scenes with his signature creativity. The work done in that movie with the use of lighting and repetition is just as suspenseful here if not more so, in some scenes. Sandberg has the reins here–who you might remember from directing Lights Out, another surprisingly great 2016 horror flick. The similarities don't even end there. After the film ended and I saw who directed this, everything made more sense.