Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  Ouija: Origin of Evil is the prequel sequel to a horror that not many people liked. In fact the original was panned pretty much by everyone. Yet, somehow, every aspect is improved in this sequel. This was much more than your typical horror movie, there was a family drama beneath the surface. Grief is our main theme here and it is explored very gently as a family are coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. Of course the board game is included, but it's not the main gimmick. The acting was nothing outstanding but it didn't need to be. What I will say though is that the creepy daughter is abso-fricking-lutely creepy, like...on another level. Mike Flanagan has impressed me again as director, with some nice slow panning to create the scares. I like how many shots had a character close up on one side of the screen and another in the distance on the other half. Also the one take scene where the daughter describes being strangled, just genius. Yes there are plenty of loud jump scares but the second half of the film is unnerving, tense and one of the only films to give me goosebumps. The production design was also noteworthy, captured the essence of the 1960's. As it is a prequel, the story is somewhat predictable and the fates of certain characters are already known so for us to actually become invested them is difficult when we ultimately know what happens at the end. Plus the scene where the priest attempts to talk to the family in private by pretending the daughter was in trouble...yeah, that was just bad acting. But on the whole, a much better experience when watching it by yourself. The second half is the definition of creepy and beneath the surface is a delicate family drama.

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