Director Mike Flanagan
Genre Horror | Thriller
Cast Lulu Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel
Rating PG-13
Release Date October 21st, 2016
“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.”
Ouija: Origin of Evil is the sequel to the money-making yet critically shredded horror film Ouija (2014). Taking a step back from the original, writer/director Mike Flanagan was brought on board to replace amateur director Stiles White (Ouija was his first feature-film). Ouija: Origin of Evil stars Lulu Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Henry Thomas, and Kate Siegel.
Sticking with the tried and true formula reminiscent of old school horror, Ouija: Origin of Evil packs enough scares to satisfy the vast majority of genre fans. Terrific acting and a well-written script provide a believable and authentic feel to a horror film that is unquestionably leaps and bounds superior to its predecessor (although the bar was set extremely low). One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to horror films is a corny feel, which to me discredits everything else the film may be doing well. Ouija: Origin of Evil does a good job avoiding falling into that hole. My biggest complaint, which admittedly is a huge flaw for a horror film, is that it’s only marginally scary (in my opinion anyway and I do have a high tolerance). It does maintain a creepy feel throughout, which deserves mentioning. The addition of talented director Mike Flanagan was a huge win for the film. He has a knack for quality horror and seems to understand how to create the right feel for viewers. He previously wrote and directed a few other horror hits, including Oculus as well as the Netflix exclusive Hush. Ouija: Origin of Evil may not be the scariest film you will have the opportunity of seeing, but it holds up as one of the better horror releases of a sub-par 2016.
Ouija: Origin of Evil gives the cast more than enough to work with and they take advantage of their opportunities. Even though it doesn't have the acting talent that Lights Out had, the cast is solid from top to bottom with strong performances all around. Elizabeth Reaser is fantastic in her role as the mother, and she is able to develop a strong chemistry with Lulu Wilson and Annalise Basso, who play her two daughters. To me Lulu Wilson's performance is most notable, primarily due to the fact that she plays such an important role that could make or break the film. Sometimes a horror film is forced to rely on the effectiveness of that "creepy little girl" and the 11 year-old actress was up to the challenge. We will be seeing her again in May 2017 when the Annabelle sequel hits theaters. Henry Thomas also delivers a formidable and effective performance as the priest (fun fact, he is the boy in the red hoodie riding the bicycle over the moon in the 1982 hit film E.T.).
Ouija: Origin of Evil is a solid entry in the horror genre that gets most things right. Those of you seeking something scary beyond comprehension will be disappointed, but when is the last time a film that scary released anyway? The days of truly scary horror films may be behind us, although I really hope that is not the case. At the end of the day, this is a better than average horror film that deserves at least one viewing, maybe even two. Recommended.
