The Conjuring franchise is slowly become somewhat of a horror phenomenon for its more original and subdued way of scaring your pants off in a non-cliched way. I liked the first movie very much and the second movie was good enough to recommend. However, it did not start well with the first Annabelle as its first spin-off was very bad at best, nearly a train wreck. So, when hearing about a sequel to this movie or a prequel to Annabelle, I thought and asking myself, "Really? We need this?" So, I would give this spin-off franchise one more chance because I do not want derail my anticipation or hopes of another spin-off idea from the Conjuring from watching another bad Annabelle movie. I thought this movie had a decent plot but it is saved by solid performances and some creepy thrills the jolted me out of my seat that I had a good time to say I can recommend it but I do not want to maybe watch it on a repetitive basis.
Back in 1943, Samuel Mullins and his wife, Esther, (Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto) were mourning for their daughter, Annabelle, who was killed in a hit and run accident. However, there is some mysticism, some supernatural entity, by which the couple believes it is the spirit of their daughter, is transfixed into a doll. However, the supernatural entity becomes a demonic possession that is searching for a human host. So, they lock away the doll carrying the demon in a closet in the house.
Twelve years later, Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman), a nun from a past orphanage, and six girls are provided shelter into that same house. Janice (Talitha Bateman), an orphan with polio, has woke up at night and unlocks the bedroom that has hidden the doll. Well, she finds a key in Annabelle's room and unlocks the demon that terrorizes the girls. The demon terrorizes and injures Janice which straps her in a wheelchair and a few girls are noticing Janice's behavioral changes.
I was somewhat entertained, somewhat scared and somewhat letdown because the movie's gimmick of a girl being possessed is basically the plot. How does the nun and the girls release Janice from the demons and actually escape? The movie solely relies on the scares and some scares are well-earned but the problem is even though you remember the horrible scares from the first few Conjuring movies, I am not sure you are going to remember the scares in this movie. I mean I will admit there were a few horror tactics that are fairly close to the high standards of the first Conjuring movie but what is lacking is a fresher plot. It is a girl being possessed as a demon scaring girls and the head nun. It is the concept that is scary not the actual plot.
Nevertheless, it was a good time at the movies and as a movie that you could watch on a horror marathon or a marathon during Halloween, I recommend the movie on that basis. However, as an overall movie, I marginally recommend it because there are some typical tropes such as some predictable scares, how the plot will unravel and how the movie will end. In the end, it is basically a prologue to the whole franchise. However, there are great performances from the main cast including Talitha Bateman, well-crafted production and moody cinematography and it is a nice tie-in to the Conjuring franchise. Director David F. Sandberg, who made Lights Out last year which was a surprisingly good movie, did a fine job.
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