The film's journey is a classic case of an underrated gem finding its audience over time.
Critics largely dismissed the film as a cliché "sophomore slump" for James Wan after the groundbreaking success of Saw .
The film allowed James Wan to experiment with the classic atmospheric ghost tropes he would later perfect in Insidious and The Conjuring .
The film capitalizes on pupaphobia (fear of puppets), featuring over 100 distinct, unsettling dolls.