The prequel to 2014's Annabelle, this motion picture is absolutely terrifying. Even though I found its sequel scary, it has nothing on this. Although slow at the start, the plot picks up at a rapid pace, throwing you into a horrifying sequence of events.

12 years on from the death of their little girl, a devastated couple open their house up to several girls and a nun from an orphanage. The father was a doll maker, so the huge house complete with a shed and basement where he worked is of course frightening. His wife also had a horrific accident, leaving her bed bound, with a phantom-of-the-opera-esque mask. Constantly needing care from her husband, she rings a bell which terrifies the little girls. 

As their time there continues, paranormal and demonic events keep occurring.With jump scares galore, you will be sitting on your couch or in the cinema full of anxiousness, wondering what will happen next. Certain points you will also have the urge to try and yell at the characters, trying to convince them not to open that creepy door or go down that dark hall or whatever too.

What I loved about this, apart from the interesting plot (which I, as always won't go into too much detail about as I don't want to spoil the film), is the fact that it ties into it's sequel and surrounding films. With links to The Conjuring and the real story about the possessed doll (yes, Annabelle is based on a real-life conduit) it completes the series of films brilliantly. At the end of the film, it shows the little girl holding a raggedy ann doll (which the real Annabelle is) and shows the beginning scene from Annabelle, shown from Annabelle's parents perspective. Setting the film up for anyone who hasn't seen the sequel or was a fan of it, I think it's a brilliant extra feature. 

The acting in this film is also something to be credited. On top of the creepy-as-hell camera work, both the little girls and adults acting is superb. I also admired that the film didn't over-expose the demonic presence and does not show Annabelle moving on camera, retaining a creepy but not over-the-top horror vibe throughout. I think this makes it far scarier than fully seeing the creature (unlike Insidious which once you see the satanic creature, it becomes less frightening, in my opinion). 

I would 100% recommend this to any horror fan as it isn't cheesy and actually has good substance and keeps you hooked throughout. The only thing I would say, is that it's rated a 15 and I think it's far more suited to a 18 rating due to the gore and frightening scenes.