"Ouija: The Devil's Board" is first of all a stupid movie, and only then not scary. That is, not even creepy. But the saddest thing is that Stiles White does not even try to bring at least a piece of some soul into this dull action. It is worth noting that continuing to successfully scare audiences in theaters for so many years is not an easy task, so the value of people like James Wan in cinema cannot be underestimated. His own enthusiasm, all the things Stiles White lacks.
So, the Ouija board is a wooden board that serves to communicate with spirits. It should be noted that this fact is disputed by many critics, and it was originally invented as a game in no way connected with mysticism. In the film, everything is positioned completely differently. With the help of the board, you can really communicate with the spirits of the dead, as usual, often evil and disgusting looking. This is what a group of teenagers did one evening.
Instead of creating a mysterious creepy atmosphere, White relies solely on cheap scary moments, the complete inadequacy of the characters and a couple of plot twists stolen from Astral. What to do if strange things happen in the house? Lie to a friend and stay in it alone. What to do if the lights suddenly go out after a session with ghosts? Split up and go check the counters. "Weegee" in a sense can be considered a parody insofar as it exploits the templates and clichés of horror films. It is literally assembled from parts of other horror films.
At the same time, it's amazing how Hasbro not only allowed the use of their game, but also undertook to partially sponsor the film. After all, no one in their right mind and solid memory will go to buy an Ouija board after watching a White film. Although the movie is not scary, it is unlikely that anyone will want to experiment on themselves. But what is most interesting is that you can buy such boards in a regular toy store and play with them as much as you want! Great Christmas present, huh?
As for the atmosphere of the film, they decided to make the film just very dark. The premises are often lit with a single flashlight, which means that it is almost impossible to see anything other than the frightened faces of the actors. Huge space for imagination and savings on the budget at the same time. Yes, and the film was shot in a school standard way, not elegantly and rudely.
The absence of any music is striking, because it is well known how cleverly the soundtrack sometimes saves horror. It not only helps to build up the atmosphere, but also simply contributes to the smooth flow of the action. Again, everything that Anton Sanko does not do.
The film is not saved by the excessive dramatization of the plot, which is forgotten in time by both the characters and, apparently, the screenwriters, when the so-called "tense" moments require it. This gives a little more space for the actors to show that they can cry and suffer and be scared. And their work is to be commended. Olivia Cooke is by far the best thing that happened to Weegee. However, in this case, the film is more like a museum exhibition of five guys demonstrating what nature has endowed them with.
The most amazing face to pay attention to in the credits is not even producer Michael Bay, but Jason Bloom. It seems that he still misses the target every time, misses also happen. And then he missed quite a lot. "Weegee: The Devil's Board" is a disastrously incompetent film that tries to ride on Halloween-themed "boo" moments, like the unexpected appearance of a guy behind his girlfriend's back. News reports are scarier to watch. However, the main thing is that neither efforts, nor attempts, nor love are noticeable in the film. Pure robbery of the audience.
