Ouija: Origin of Evil Review
PG13: Disturbing Images, Terror, and Thematic Elements
Allspark Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Hasbro Studios, Platinum Dunes, Intrepid Pictures
1 Hr and 37 Minutes
Cast:Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, Parker Mack, Sam Anderson, Kate Siegel, Doug Jones
In 1965 Los Angeles, a widowed mother, and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their seance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by a merciless spirit, the family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.
REVIEW: Remember back in 2014 when Universal and Hasbro released Ouija a horror film based on the board game of the same name? Remember how bad that was? Well, now they have attempted to dust out that busted board and try again with a prequel centered on the family of the evil entity that was Doris in the first film. But will this be better than the first film or fall into the same trope? Well, the answer is yes and no.
THE GOOD: What makes Origin of Evil two much better than it's predecessor is the amount of old filmmaking styles and techniques that director Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Netflix's Hush) integrates with the story. There was a lot of work put into the practical effects and the production design in the house that the Zanders are living in. Even from the Universal Pictures logo and the film's title card it keeps on going with this routine where plays like a 60s horror flick. I thought for a long time while watching it that film was projected on a film reel because every now and then a black blot will show up on the top right corner of the screen. But it wasn't the projection it was the movie itself which used to be the case that you'll see in old movies that used to do before digital principal photography. I felt like I was a kid watching an old horror film that stumbled its way into 2016. Dedication like that is really something to salute for. This movie is so in love with the 60s as much as Shane Black's The Nice Guys was so in love with the 70s.
The cast does a great job carrying this film. Elizabeth Reaser does a great performance as this mom that is torn between her occupation that this board game that is helping the hero out with and the constant spiritual possession of her second daughter. She has scenes that are centered on her and she takes total control. It just makes you go, "you go girl."
Another actress worth mentioning is little Lulu Wilson who not only looks creepy but acts it too. A lot of horror films love to have kids who just has that look that makes you poop your pants but can act so innocent. Wilson has a moment where she's saying something in an innocent tone, but her dialogue is just so chilling that it gives you shivers. The movie attempts to make her scary and for the most part, she is in an internally frightening way than a jump scare sort of way.
THE BAD: As much as it attempts to be scary Ouija Origin of Evil follows pretty much the same story as any given possession horror film. It has several twists and turns that are tightly written but it's not as scary as it seems. It has an amazing set up with clever wit and humor but then it slowly deteriorates into your generic movie. The movie sets up characters you do care about but when you bad things start to happen you feel bad because of these characters you don't wish that this was an Ouija film. The film tries to give you jump scares but it's portrayed in a very silly fashion you just start to laugh than actually get scared. But in the end, it is extremely better than the first Ouija film.
LAST STATEMENT: Although its story is as generic as any given horror film, Mike Flanagan's Ouija: Origin of Evil incorporates both enough character and stylistic filmmaking techniques to keep this horror sequel prequel afloat as being both entertaining and far much superior to its predecessor.
Rating: 3/5 | 60%
Super Scene: Do you know what it feels like to be strangled to death?
