Ouija: Origin of Evil

Starring: Annalise Basso, Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, Patrick Mack, Halle Charlton, Doug Jones, Lin Shaye
Directed by: Mike Flanagan
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: A family uses a ouija board to contact a deceased family member, but they connect with a supernatural entity instead.

Review:

Tim: A sequel that's better than the original? While not unheard of, it's still a rare enough feat in Hollywood to make one sit up and take notice. Ouija: Origin of Evil isn't just slightly better than the first film, it is a major improvement. This film deserves massive amounts of credit for not continuing the usual trend of horror sequels decreasing in quality. That being said, the victory gets a little bit of an asterisk- the bar was set pretty low by the first film and while this movie is significantly better, it's still not quite a good movie. So, not a complete victory, but this movie saved a potential franchise that had gotten off on the wrong foot. I was very pleased with the end result, all things considered- I'd take a decent horror movie out of this franchise any day.

This prequel feels fundamentally different from the original, which is a positive thing. The original was set in present day, while this film takes place in the 1960s. While not original, the period setting worked wonders to help differentiate this film from the first one and the dozens of other horror movies we get every year. The time period was a definite plus. The movie does have links to the first film, which was fine, but I appreciated that this film stood on its own- you don't have to have seen the original to appreciate this film.

Now, the story itself is familiar- a family is haunted by a dark supernatural force. We've seen this so many times. Fortunately, it felt less stale than you'd expect here. I liked the little twists in the story- for example, the family runs a phony seance business. That was a great add to the story, because you have a family that's familiar with the idea of life after death, but aren't true believers. It was also a nice touch to have the father deceased, because it tied in the use of the ouija board, both for business and personal reasons. These are small things, but it helped craft a more thought out, defined story. You don't usually see this level of care in horror movies. The character development was also significantly better than most horror movies. I might not have loved any of the characters, but I was somewhat invested in their story. We usually don't see that. Those are some big positives for the film.

I have to admit there were some decently creepy moments throughout the film. The whole visual of the little girl's mouth opening to impossible heights was so disturbing. While kids being haunted isn't anything new, this movie used it more effectively than most. Now, to be fair, there were a number of intended scares that didn't really hit their mark. Still, the percentage of frights that worked was higher than we usually see.

The cast was much better this time around. Annalise Basso gave a good performance. I like Elizabeth Reaser, and so I was able to overlook some of her less effective moments. Still, it was good seeing her here. Lulu Wilson was so creepy. It was also great seeing Lin Shaye in a small role. While the cast isn't what you'd call "good", they surpassed expectations.

While I'm being very positive about much of this film, a lot of my happiness needs to be taken in context- the first film was generic, cliched, and just plain bad. I was so surprised that this movie improved in so many areas. While this is a legitimately decent horror movie, it's not a very good movie. There's strong elements, but the movie ultimately falls into too many cliches, jump scares, and predictability. The best horror movies either give us something new or execute exceptionally well. While this film improved on the first one, it's not like you're watching a horror classic. It's a decent film.

While there was still room for this film to have been better, you have to be pleased that Ouija: Origin of Evil represented a clear, significant quality improvement over the first film. Normally at this stage of a horror franchise, I'm probably praying for no additional films. This prequel flipped that script, though- I have no idea if they are planning on making a third film, but I'd be happy to sit down and watch it (just please don't make me regret saying that).

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ouija