Annabelle: Creation screened at the LA Film Festival. This is an advance review ahead of the movie's August release. 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, featuring more engaging protagonists and a far less problematic ending. On paper, Annabelle: Creation shouldn’t work as well as it does given its litany of genre cliches and derivative elements, which include: a remote house where an evil spirit resides; a creepy doll; possession; children in peril; religious figures battling demons; Bible pages posted to walls; a forbidden room, etc.