Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

Apparently there is a movie based on the Ouija board game. It's called Ouija (2014). I did not watch it.

But a couple years after THAT movie, a sequel was released, because, ya know, why not? I didn't see that one, either. But the reviews were fairly positive. Better-than-the-original positive. Actually-a-decent-movie positive. I took note, but quickly forgot all about it.

And then a few years ago I found the works of Mike Flanagan. And I fell in love with his style and his brand of spooky. I watched as many of his films as I could get my hands on.

And ya know what? That Ouija board sequel movie? It was co-written, edited and directed by one Mike Flanagan.

So of course I watched it. 

Just in time to kick off my October Spooky Movie Marathon.

I. What Is It?

This is the story of a single mother and her two daughters, trying to make a living in 1967 Los Angeles. But then a game of Ouija awakens a slumbering evil, and the family will be thrust into a waking nightmare.

II. Beautifully Shot

Mike Flanagan is an auteur. He doesn't just make horror films. He crafts beautifully rendered horror masterpieces. Any other director would have knocked out a shitty script and sleep-walked through the production of a movie like this. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) is a paycheck for most people. Flanagan actually takes the source material seriously, and turns in quite a nasty little slice of horror.

Flanagan's signature greens and reds are all over this movie. Where most filmmakers would pop blues and oranges, Flanagan, instead, dials up reds and greens and that gives his films an interesting visual quality.

You could also pause this film just about anywhere in its 99 minute runtime and find a beautifully constructed image. Flanagan teams with longtime conspirator, Michael Fimognari, and the two craft beautiful photography: figures are balances along leading lines and nothing in the background is there unless it aids the composition. If anyone learned the lessons of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), it appears to be Mike Flanagan.

If you like your horror presented in painterly fashion, give Flanagan a whirl. In fact, look past the whole "based on a board game" schtick, and give THIS movie a whirl.

III. A Lush Period Piece

Flanagan and his art production team lovingly recreate the 1960s with swank and circumstance. Beautiful cars, crisp costumes, and glorious furniture all combine to transport the viewer back in time. I love me a good period piece, and Flanagan builds a lush world for his spookies to inhabit.

IV. Actually Spooky

Jump scares are alright. When they are properly constructed, they can be incredibly effective. But Flanagan plays a different game. He sets up negative spaces in his frames where attentive viewers can see spooky shit in the background. He establishes camera movements that reveal terrifying details. He lets the sound design pop in skin-tingling ways. Watching a Flanagan joint becomes something like a game: can you spot all the scary things? It's a technique he would master in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House (2018), but is playing with in Ouija: Origin of Evil. Where another filmmaker would be content to just pop a ghostie into frame with a loud pants-shitting jolt, Flanagan toys with his viewer and draws you into the fun of being scared out of your mind.

I really like that.

It makes his movies feel like an experience.

Why You Should See It

- It is gorgeous to look at, which solidifies Flanagan as one of the most technically gifted horror auteurs on the market today.
- The scares are genuine and spooky. Flanagan wrings some gold out of what could have been (likely what SHOULD have been) a silly premise.

Why You Shouldn't See It

- This is a movie that is legit based on a board game.

In Conclusion

Mike Flanagan is one of the best horror genre filmmakers working today. Full stop. And while you get the sense that he's working out his style, it is a great deal of fun to watch a talented filmmaker stretch his muscles. Flanagan takes the ball and runs it all the way into the end zone.

Miscellany

- The movie was shot digitally, but Flanagan added in a bunch of elements in post to make it feel like it was shot on film. He put in burn marks, tics, and various impurities that might have show up on film.
- The mirror from Oculus (2013) is in the basement of the house.
- Flanagan's original cut of the film was 130 minutes.
- On a $9 million budget, the film grossed $81 million worldwide. It currently boasts an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. Yeah, the board game movie.