Second doll prequel is a cabbage patch of terror. Review by Brandon Wolfe The Annabelle preamble in The Conjuring was one of the best parts of one of the best contemporary horror films. Functioning as something of a freestanding short film within the larger narrative, the tale of two young nurses tormented in their apartment by the presence of a possessed doll was an uncommonly well-done horror chamber piece. That it told a story that was purported to be based in fact helped, but the subtlety on display in the sequence managed to burrow under the skin in ways that the usual sledgehammer approach in modern horror never could. The sequence was so memorable that Annabelle was gifted her own spin-off film a year later, though that film showcased none of the deftness of her debut and flailed about in trying to justify its existence. But that spin-off made a tidy profit, and so Annabelle was obligated to return to active duty. With a sequel not possible, since Annabelle fed rig...