Ouija: Origin of Evil – movie review

The original Ouija, released in 2014, cost some $5 million to produce and ended up grossing some $100 million at the box office, so it’s no wonder that production company BlumHouse went back to the well for a second helping. But as the title suggests, Ouija: Origin of Evil is more of a prequel than a sequel, but in terms of scares and delivering the goods it is far superior to the original.

The film is set in Los Angeles in 1967, half a century before the events of the original. Financially strapped widow Alice Zander (Elizabeth Reaser, from The Twilight Saga) and her two daughters run a seance scam in which they offer comfort and solace to the bereaved and lonely. Alice buys an Ouija board, the newest trendy toy for teens looking for a bit of excitement, hoping to use it to boost her business. But when she and her daughters use it they unwittingly invite a malevolent demon into their home. Before long, her youngest daughter Doris (newcomer Lulu Wilson) is possessed by a demon. In desperation, Alice turns to Father Tom (Henry Thomas, best known for his role in the classic ET), the principal at the parochial school attended by her older daughter Pauline (Annalise Basso, from Oculus) for help.

Director Mike Flanagan has spent ten years in television honing his craft, and has since built up quite a repertoire of horror films, including the creepy Oculus. He seems to prefer an old school approach to his horror and doesn’t overwhelm the material with flashy CGI effects and green screen work. Ouija: Origin of Evil does have a few effective moments of shocks, and Flanagan does manage to build up the tension.

But Ouija: Origin of Evil is fairly cliched, and Flanagan and co-writer Jeff Howard (Oculus) tick off all the right boxes here – haunted house, a family terrified by supernatural forces, a young child possessed by a malevolent spirit, spider walking up the walls, a friendly exorcist – but he also tends to telegraph some of his punches. The film is derivative and cliched, and borrows from numerous other horror films. Fans of the genre will recognise many of the references – for example when the kindly priest steps out of his car and walks towards the house, audiences will spot subtle allusions to The Exorcist, one of the modern classics of the genre.

Flanagan also suffuses the material with an old fashioned aesthetic that perfectly captures the era. Even the opening credit title card is reminiscent of the 60s. Cinematographer Michael Fimognari gives the film the look and feel of something shot in the 60s with its colour palette. Patricia Farrell’s production design also reeks of authenticity and perfectly captures the era.

Reaser brings plenty of spunk and attitude to her role, and makes for a strong and likeable heroine. Basso makes the most of her role as the feisty and rebellious Pauline. Newcomer Wilson is a standout as the possessed Doris, and creates a truly frightening character and one of the more creepy child characters the genre has produced. Thomas has a warm presence and brings intelligence and depth to what could have been a fairly colourless and cliched role.

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a reasonably effective horror movie that will appeal to those who liked The Conjuring and Insidious and their ilk. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen the original either, as Ouija: Origin of Evil stands out on its own. However, a brief post final credits sequence features horror veteran Lin Shaye (from the original Ouija) and provides a contextual and thematic link to the original.

Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Elizabeth Reaser, Doug Jones, Henry Thomas,
Release Date: 20 October 2016
Rating: M

Greg King