Annabelle: Creation review round-up: The spine-chilling sequel is the cleverest gimmick from The Conjuring universe

Ahead of its August 11 release, the second trailer for Annabelle: Creation was unveiled today (June 20) and it is spine chilling. Alongside the trailer and poster release, the horror sequel had a special screening at Los Angeles Film Festival.

Also read: From The Mummy to Annabelle: Creation, here are the five much awaited horror movies of 2017

Annabelle: Creation, which is a part of the Conjuring universe, tells the tale of a dollmaker and his wife who, several years after the tragic death of their little girl, welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home. Very soon, however, they become the target of the dollmaker's possessed creation, Annabelle.

The David F Sandberg directorial was screened at the LA Film Festival and it left an impact on the critics. 

The cast of Annabelle: Creation includes Stephanie Sigman (SPECTRE), Talitha Bateman (The 5th Wave), Lulu Wilson (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Philippa Coulthard (After the Dark), Grace Fulton (Badland), Lou Lou Safran (The Choice), Samara Lee (The Last Witch Hunter), Tayler Buck (debut film), Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) and Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy).

Here are some early reviews from the critic's notebook:

Variety

Clearly aware that he's been stuck with a lazy script (from "Annabelle" writer Gary Dauberman), yet eager to capitalise on the momentum of "Lights Out," gifted Swedish director Sandberg appears to be using this project as practice, trying nearly every trick in the book, while never repeating the same stunt twice.

Here, 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.

Collider

As for Annabelle herself, Sandberg seems to have taken a cue from The Conjuring and Insidious, especially when it comes to shot composition and the score, and it winds up serving the title villain very well. The way Sandberg utilizes the doll is extremely effective, especially during a few very clever stunt scenes that feel reminiscent of The Conjuring but are fresh enough to deliver a fun, unique thrill you don't see coming.

IGN

Annabelle: Creation is a marked improvement over its 2014 predecessor, Annabelle. Although neither film can top the movie that spawned them, James Wan's The Conjuring, Annabelle: Creation is the rare horror sequel that improves upon the original.

Sandberg definitely makes good use of this real estate, milking the house's various attributes -- namely, the dumbwaiter and chair lift -- for maximum effect in the movie's more chilling sequences. Polio-stricken Janice's (Talitha Bateman) handicap generates many such suspenseful moments as she struggles to escape perilous situations.

The Wrap

It might be a pair of faintly glowing eyes or a flicker of fuzzy movement in the background, or just another shot of that damned doll doing zilch but sitting there with its filmy skin, glampunk eyes, and crumpled dress. But it works like the hit of hot fat from a freshly made French fry. That you never see Annabelle move on its own — though you keep staring at it, waiting for it to do so — is one of this series' cleverest and enduring gimmicks.

The Hollywood Reporter

Sandberg nonetheless orchestrates the cast into an impressive ensemble, giving each character a key task to accomplish in the attempt to vanquish the emerging demon. The final scenes satisfyingly circle back to the violent events at the center of Annabelle, efficiently reconnecting the franchise's chronology.

Watch the trailer for Annabelle: Creation here.