Theatrical Review: Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

"This is how you make a theatrical Horror movie in 2016."

Back in 2014, Blumhouse Productions gave us Ouija (review HERE); a decent supernatural yarn that most people shit on, but that we didn't hate. As bland and formulaic as it was, it got enough things right to keep us entertained.

Two years later, they've given us Ouija: Origin of Evil; a sequel that no one in their right mind wanted. Given the fact that the first movie wasn't stellar, and that the trailer for this prequel made us cringe a little bit, we figured that this new Ouija movie was destined to make our Worst of 2016 list...

But holy shit, it was actually a pretty damned good movie.

Alice Zander is a widowed mother trying to support her two young daughters in 1967, and she does so as a medium who contacts the spirits of the dead to bring their loved ones a sense of closure. Of course it's all a scam (because it ALWAYS is), but it's not like Alice is doing it to bilk people out of money. No, she actually likes giving people the closure they need. So, she's shady, but for a really good reason.

OH, PEOPLE, WHEN WILL YOU EVER LEARN...

Grieving the loss of their father, daughters Lina and Doris help their mom with her business, but wish there was a way to contact his spirit, because they need closure too. When Lina comes across a Ouija board at a party, she convinces mom to start using one in her readings, which she does, but while testing it out, she contacts some creepy spirit that latches onto youngest daughter Doris.

REMEMBER THE RULES FROM THE FIRST MOVIE? WELL, MOM BREAKS #3.

As Alice and Lina begin to realize that Doris is getting creepier and creepier because she's possessed by an evil spirit, they turn to a priest at the girls' school. What he's supposed to do, I don't know, but I can tell you that they all end up in the basement where terrible secrets are uncovered, and where they'll most likely meet their maker.

It's a prequel, you know it doesn't end well.

NOPE, NOT WELL AT ALL.

I personally like the first Ouija movie for what it was, but if I'm being honest, it was a generic flick that wasn't all that great.

Somehow though, the guy who gave us two other movies we really liked -Oculus (review HERE), and Hush (review HERE)- has managed to make craft a solid sequel (prequel, really) to a movie that should have never been given a sequel to begin with. His name is Mike Flanagan, and let me tell you that as much as we've dug his work up until this point, the fact that he could turn a disposable series like Ouija around like this and make it respectable makes us believe that he's the real deal.

The story here is compelling; it's got some genuine emotional beats; its characters are likable and relatable; its scary in the right ways; and even though it falls back on a few typical gags (like that damn stretching mouth thing that has been in 496 Horror movies since 2010), it felt fresh and original. Or at the very least, i wasn't business as usual for a PG-13 Horror flick of this type.

The cast was solid as hell here too. Elizabeth Reaser was great as the mom not only trying to raise her kids all by her lonesome in 1967, but to save them from evil spirits to boot. Annalise Basso (who also starred in Flanagan's Oculus) is a name to watch too, as she played the typical "teen daughter" role in a completely un-annoying way, which is saying something. The real standout here though was young Lulu Wilson, who played the role of the possessed Doris with skill well beyond her years. Honestly, the kid was so good and creepy in this one that we actually want to see Annabelle 2 now, just because she's going to be in it.

YEAH, HOW MANY TIMES DO MOVIES REALLY NEED TO USE THIS SAME GAG?

Why would you ever give a kid a Ouija board?

NOPE. NOT HAPPENING.

Sure. Let's go in the basement of the creepy house to find your missing daughter who is possessed by the ghost of some evil, murderous bastard. That'll end well.

OH, THERE SHE IS.

It's PG-13, so there's barely any blood or gore, but there are some pretty creepy visuals to be had throughout.

THAT LOOKS PAINFUL.

Nope. Not that kind of flick.

MOM WAS A QT THOUGH.

We really liked the opening scene, which established the characters really well, but then there was that scene with the shadow man...

DUDE, SHE'S JUST A KID!

Ouija: Origin of Evil surprised the hell out of us by being a smart, well-made, and actually scary movie. It's better than the first movie, and if they can keep on making them like this, we'd be happy to see this series become a franchise.

This is theatrical, PG-13 Horror done right.

B+

Ouija: Origin of Evil is in theaters now.

I'm pretty sure that none of these ladies will ever use a Ouija board again. Can't blame 'em.