MOVIE REVIEW: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL (PG-13)
“Ouija: Origin of Evil” is a prequel of sorts to a forgettable 2014 horror affair and while this new entry isn’t exactly a rebirth of the genre, it has an ace up its sleeve in the form of director Mike Flanagan. Flanagan was responsible for the horror gem “Oculus” and the intense home invasion thriller, “Hush,” and what sets Flanagan apart from a lot of other contemporary horror directors is his desire to put character, drama, and tone above death, gore, and cheap scares.
“Origin of Evil” doesn’t really have a whole lot in common with the 2014 film. In fact, the only elements they really share are their titles and the inclusion of a Ouija board. In this 60s-set possession tale, skeptic mom, Alice Zander (Elizabeth Reaser), and her two daughters, Lina (Annalise Basso) and Doris (Lulu Wilson), spend their time aiding mourning individuals by leading them to believe that they’re actually speaking with their deceased loved ones. As it turns out, the Zanders don’t really have the ability to consort with the dead, but their little side hobby isn’t so much driven by greed as it is by a yearning to help others after a tragedy profoundly affects their own family unit.
It isn’t long, however, before Alice becomes a true believer after young Doris obtains a special gift following her playing with a Ouija board. It seems that by way of this popular board game, Doris has made a new friend. The question is, does her new pal really have her best interests at heart? You don’t need to look past this film’s subtitle to reach your conclusion.
“Ouija: Origin of Evil” sports the familiar, there’s no doubt about that. Shades of “The Excorcist,” “The Omen,” “The Sixth Sense,” “The Amityville Horror,” “The Babadook,” “The Conjuring” films, and “Poltergeist” abound. Thing is, it’s all about execution and while “Origin of Evil” is hardly a scare a minute, the scares that Flanagan and crew do generate are pretty darn effective (even if “The Mummy”\”I Am Legend” wide open mouth gag is resorted to one too many times.) Flanagan is also quite the craftsman when it comes to tone. Speaking of tone, “Origin of Evil” is mighty bleak, particularly for a PG-13 rated horror picture.
“Origin of Evil” offers up pretty good performances too. Wilson is terrific in the overtly creepy kid role bringing vulnerability and sweetness to the part, but once she’s taken over by a malevolent presence, this youngster turns it up a notch. Watch as little Doris describes, in macabre detail, what it’s like to be strangled. Reaser is solid too although there are a few moments where she is unable to rise above the melodramatic trappings of the writing. Henry Thomas has a handful of nice moments as noble Father Tom, and while his priest lacks the depth of legendary demon battlers like Father Merrin and Father Karras, it’s an absolute kick seeing E.T.’s Elliot play a man of the cloth. Rounding out the cast is Basso as Alice’s teenage daughter, Lina. Basso is solid and does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting in the picture. What’s more, her character’s fate is compelling and refreshingly unexpected.
“Ouija: Origin of Evil” is hardly perfect. There are certainly lapses of logic and moments when characters don’t quite act in the way you might expect a rational human being to act in a similar situation, but one thing is certain: Flanagan is one of the better storytellers working in the genre right now. “Origin of Evil” isn’t at the same level as Flanagan’s expertly crafted (and underappreciated) “Oculus” but it’s considerably stronger then some of the disposable horror films we’ve seen in the past few years, including its forgettable predecessor. There’s a reason Flanagan was recently tapped by John Carpenter to do a new “Halloween” film and there’s a reason he’s adapting Stephen King’s “Gerald’s Game” for Netflix. It’s because the man knows how to deliver sufficient scares.
