Annabelle: Creation

Years after their daughter's death, a doll maker named Samuel Mullins and his wife Esther welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their creaking home. What starts as a quiet act of charity becomes a test of nerve when a sealed room and an old trunk reveal a porcelain doll whose presence unsettles everyone. A malevolent force stirred by sorrow begins to stalk the house, turning ordinary rooms into traps and turning friendly routines into threats. As shadows lengthen and doors close by themselves, the adults struggle to shield the girls while uneasy memories from the past surface. The film stays focused on character fear and escalating danger for the residents. Danger feels personal to all.

Directed by David F. Sandberg, Annabelle: Creation is a prequel to the 2014 film Annabelle and part of The Conjuring Universe. The screenplay was written by Gary Dauberman, with the story rooted in the haunted doll established across the franchise.

The film cost about 15 million to make and earned a worldwide total of 306,592,201 dollars, underlining the strength of the Conjuring spin offs. Its box office performance helped sponsor additional projects within the shared universe across titles worldwide releases.

As part of The Conjuring Universe, Annabelle: Creation reinforced the appeal of origin stories for haunted objects and helped keep the franchise in the cultural conversation. It fueled fan speculation, extended toy tie ins, and reminded horror fans why this world feels perilous. Its success sparked continued conversations about effects.

Critics praised the film for atmosphere, suspense, and the performances of Lulu Wilson and Stephanie Sigman, while some flagged familiar genre beats. Themes include grief after loss, the urge to protect children, and how fear can test faith and community under pressure as chaos tests trust and unity within families.