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Ouija: Origin Of Evil Movie Review

Name: Ouija: Origin Of Evil Movie Review
Item: Ouija: Origin Of Evil
Rating: 3
Author: Pradip Bhat

Ouija: Origin Of Evil Movie Review English Movie Review

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Review for the film " Ouija: Origin Of Evil"

Streaming On: Netflix

Runtime: 01 Hour 09 Minutes

Certificate: A

Released: 21-10-2016

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Similar To: Zombies Vs. Robots, The Man With The Iron Heart, Ballerina (2024), Them That Follow

Critic Review
User Review

3 / 5.0

3.55 / 5.0

CAST & CREW

Elizabeth Reaser

Brian Goldner

Jason Blum

Michael Bay

MORE CAST & CREW

Producer:

Andrew Form

Brad Fuller

Brian Goldner

Jason Blum

Michael Bay

Director:

Mike Flanagan

Supporting Actress:

Elizabeth Reaser

Screenplay Writer:

Jeff Howard

Mike Flanagan

Click Here For Full Cast & Crew

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a English-language supernatural horror film released in 2016. The film was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, starring Elizabeth Reaser Born on 2 July 1975 in an affluent Detroit suburb, >> Read More... , Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso and Henry Thomas Henry Jackson Thomas Jr. is an actor and musician. >> Read More... in lead roles. A woman who owns a seance business brings an Ouija board to her family which leads to her youngest daughter getting possessed.

Plot

The film begins with an introduction to the Zander family, consisting of Alice (played by Elizabeth Reaser), the mother, and her two daughters, Lina and Doris (played by Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson respectively). They live in a suburban house, and Alice works from home as a spiritual medium, helping people connect with the netherworld. However, it is revealed that this is really a sham, and Alice is assisted by her daughters in managing backstage tomfoolery that convinces customers that she is legit.

The family of three has suffered a recent loss. Roger, the father, had died a while ago, and the three of them are struggling with grief. When Alice brings in an Ouija board into the house, Doris gets drawn to it, hoping to communicate with her dead father. When a spirit speaks back to her, leading her to a pouch full of cash, the three of them become convinced that they are speaking to the spirit of Roger.

Chaos erupts when the spirit begins to possess Doris, making her attack and kill people. The family realises it's not Roger, but by then it's too late. The spirit of a man named Marcus has possessed Doris and is making her do terrible things. The family is thrown into darkness, and they must fight to save themselves or become prey to a diabolical spirit.

Star Performance

It can be confidently said that the star of this film is Lulu Wilson, the youngest of the actors, who plays Doris Zander. She plays a typical role, perhaps, an innocent little girl in a small dress and glasses who gets caught up in something so much bigger than her. But she plays the role extremely well, delivering her role in an impressively creepy way.

Annalise Basso as Lina has also done a decent job. Although she is more of a supporting character for the first half or so, she comes into her own when Lina's character begins to become a more active character in the film. She delivers a commendable performance. She also has great chemistry with Lulu Wilson, and that adds complexity to the film.

Other noteworthy performances were delivered by Henry Thomas, who plays the role of Father Thomas, the principal at Doris' school, who comes in to help the Zander family when matters take a turn for the worse. Elizabeth Reaser has also done well as Alice.

Analysis

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a prequel to the 2014 film Ouija, yet the links between the two are almost non-existent. Not that it's a bad thing, because this film stands as a very strong standalone, if not a strong prequel. However, it is a much stronger production than its predecessor, with a more haunting atmosphere and well-crafted visual elements that make it a genuinely creepy film.

There are a lot of typical horror film elements in this film, from the innocent child getting possessed, a creepy-looking suburban house with a basement that looks like it could be a set for a horror film, a priest who comes in to help the family; these elements are classic and timeless, and are used perfectly so as to not let them become boring. The relationships between the Zanders are also portrayed as quite strong, making the eventual grief, terror and emotion they feel all the more strong.

One thing that is beautiful about this film is the way it's been set, and the attention to detail in terms of maintaining the aesthetic of the 1960s. The vintage furniture and the color palette are period appropriate and add an aesthetic appeal to the film.

The writing and screenplay are written beautifully. There are scenes with jump scares and scenes where the terror is kind of atmospheric. This duality enhances the intensity and thrill of watching the film. The director, Mike Flanagan, has masterfully built up the suspense in the film, successfully keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. The ending is equal parts tempting and eery.

What's There?

The acting is masterful.
There is great attention to detail.
The writing and screenplay are well done.

What's Not There?

The film could be a little bit sped up.

Verdict

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a great example of the charm and appeal of a classic old-timey horror film. With great acting, cinematography, screenplay, suspense, and so on, there are really no reasons you should avoid watching this film.

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