Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
This is a rare Horror Film that works because it cares about its characters and story more than only scaring the audience. Ouija: Origin of Evil will also shock the Horror crowd being a Sequel that is actually better than its predecessor.
A widowed mother and her two daughters, in 1965 Los Angeles, add a Ouija board to bolster their séance scam business. When the youngest daughter uses it to contact her late father, she ends up inviting evil into their home. She then becomes overtaken by the merciless spirit and her family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.
Ouija: Origin of Evil gives its characters a purpose, meaning the Film has a story and doesn’t only rely solely on scares. The script is well-written with a good reason the spirit is haunting this family. Something many horror scripts don’t have and/or achieve. Due to the strong script, the actors are able to suspend the audience’s disbelief no matter how unbelievable the story is. Elizabeth Reaser, the matriarch of the family, shines on-screen. She goes through every emotion a person has throughout the Film so authentically. The eldest sister, played by Annalise Basso, never goes overboard in her frightened performance. She also has a great twist at the end that shows her range as an actor. Lulu Wilson, the youngest sister, sends shivers over the audience with her convincing performance as a child possessed.
Where the Film falls short is on the scares however. Frankly, there are none until the last few minutes of Film. For Horror fans who flock to the cinema every October to find that one Film that will scare them, this isn’t it. But, if you are looking for a Horror Film that has story, character, has a few scares and is a throwback to the classics, go see Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Universal Pictures Canada release Ouija: Origin of Evil on Friday, October 21, 2016.
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