Ouija: Origin of Evil is a swingin' sixties prequel to the 2014 horror movie and sleeper hit Ouija. Its predecessor has a mere 6% on rotten tomatoes, but had tremendous financial success. The budget was an estimated $5 million, and by December, 2014, the film had grossed almost $51 million. Obviously, the next step is to plan a sequel.
I was fortunate enough to attend a pre-screening. Basing my expectations off the 2014 Ouija, I was ready to be bored and disappointed. Boy was I in for a surprise.
The film opens with a mother and her two daughters performing a scam séance for a grieving man and his skeptical daughter. The first part of the film delivers a steady stream of laughs and starts on a light-hearted note. This mood only continues when the oldest daughter Lina (Annalise Basso) sneaks out, looking suitably 60's, and plays with a ouija board along with her friends. Then things, as they often do in horror movies, turn for the worst. In an effort to spice up their séance scam, Lina's mother Alice (Elizabeth Reaser) buys a ouija board. Doing so then causes the youngest girl, Doris (Lulu Wilson) to become possessed, no surprises here.
What happens next, however, is one of the scariest horror movies made in a while– but when the director and writer is Mike Flanagan, you expect nothing less. Flanagan, director and writer for films such as Hush, Oculus, and Absentia, knows what he's doing. The whole theatre was on the edge of their seats. People shifting to hide their face or cover their ears was a constant sound, and the scares delivered genuine screams. Once the horror starts, the 99 minute film never lets you take a breather.
The main person to thank for this is Lulu Wilson, the youngest daughter. This girl is only 11 and she carried the film from start to finish. Her malevolent intensity and purposeful movements made even the toughest members of the audience uncomfortable. To be blunt, she's creepy AF and steals every scene. One in particular involving a basement, hole in the wall, and a menacing Doris standing behind a poor soul comes to mind. To say any more would spoil the movie, but this film has its share of jump scares, unexpected frights, and a delightful retro tone through out. Various moments feel like homages to horror classics of the 60's and 70's. The film will also appeal to fans of recent horror films Oculus and The Conjuring.
Another aspect often neglected in horror films is the human aspect. The small rag- tag family is reeling from the lost of a husband and father. The grief feels genuine, as does the hope and tentative joy they feel when the ouija board and Doris seem to be contacting her deceased father. The film is both horrifying and tragic. The ending evokes equal parts screams and empathy for this ailing family.
Overall, if you're looking for a fresh horror movie to deliver a punch–you're in luck. Outstanding performances by all the actors, a fantastically creepy little girl, and a retro vibe create a film that will stand the test of horror time.
