62
Metascore
29 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- If some light deja vu is the price horror fans must pay for a mainstream offering this spine-tingling, most will still come away feeling spooked and satisfied.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweCloser in tone and old-school psychological fright tactics to the original film than either The Conjuring 2 or Annabelle, David F. Sandberg’s incisive approach capably resets the franchise.
- 70TheWrapRobert AbeleTheWrapRobert AbeleAnnabelle: Creation is a professional jitters-fest, made with deep-seated esteem for the genre rather than cynicism about a box-office sure thing.
- 70VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeHere, Sandberg once again plays with both lighting, composition and suspense, framing shots in such a way that we’re constantly searching the shadows for hints of movement, while drawing out scenes for maximum tension.
- 70IGNJim VejvodaIGNJim VejvodaAnnabelle: Creation is the rare horror sequel that improves upon the original, featuring more engaging protagonists and a far less problematic ending.
- 67The PlaylistDrew TaylorThe PlaylistDrew TaylorIf anything can happen (and, trust me, it does), then there’s never a way of predicting where the next scare will come from. And for a genre that oftentimes feels threadbare and hopelessly predictable, this cannot be commended enough.
- 60Time OutTime OutThe demon doll from the Conjuring movies remains creepy, even if this prequel feels occasionally wooden.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoSan Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoThere are “gotcha” jolts that definitely got me, but for each of those, there must be a half-dozen scares telegraphed in very large letters. I think Annabelle: Creation is suffering from sequelitis.
- 38Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreIf you can’t get more than just a taste of terror from throwing half a dozen orphans into a haunted house, maybe your “universe” isn’t expanding at all and your “Creation” has run its course.
- 20Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleIt’s maddeningly unclear sometimes, the whole doll/possession/ghost story, as the filmmakers play extremely loose with the film’s internal logic. Couple that with the stale scent of well-worn dialogue. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.