Ouija (1 & 2)
OUIJA (15)
D: Stiles White
Universal / Platinum Dunes / Blumhouse / Hasbro (Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, Jason Blum & Bennett Schneir)
US 🇺🇸 2014
89 mins
Horror
W: Juliet Snowden & Stiles White
DP: David Emmerichs
Ed: Ken Blackwell
Mus: Anton Sanko
Olivia Cooke (Laine Morris), Ana Coto (Sarah Morris), Daren Kagasoff (Trevor), Bianca Santos (Isabelle), Douglas Smith (Pete)
Ouija is a stupid horror film with a stupid plot, which is quite unforgivable considering the plot device at the centre of the story had endless potential to make something at least half-decent with.
Following the death of her best friend, Laine Morris (Olivia Cooke), her sister Sarah and various friends summon an evil spirit with a Ouija board which spreads further death.  However, the plot throws in a twist which makes absolutely no sense and is quite insulting to its audience.
Olivia Cooke is a good actress, but she’d do well to steer away from insipid trash like this.
3/10
OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVILÂ (15)
D: Mike Flanagan
Universal / Allspark / Blumhouse / Hasbro / Platinum Dunes (Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Stephen Davis, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller & Brian Goldner)
US 🇺🇸 2016
99 mins
Horror
W: Mike Flanagan & Jeff Howard [based on characters by Juliet Snowden & Miles White]
DP: Michael Fimognari
Ed: Mike Flanagan
Mus: The Newton Brothers
Elizabeth Reaser (Alice Zander), Annalise Basso (Paulina Zander), Lulu Wilson (Doris Zander), Henry Thomas (Father Thomas Hogan), Parker Mack (Mikey Russell)
Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually a very decent prequel to a film that really didn’t deserve any follow ups.
Set in the late 1960’s, Alice, a widow and bogus medium uses her two daughters in her act to dupe customers, but following the introduction of a Ouija board into her readings.  Initially convinced upon its use that her youngest daughter, Doris, does have a legitimate gift for contacting spirits, Alice continues unbeknownst that Doris has actually been possessed by a malevolent spirit.
It’s actually unfortunate that the 2014 film exists, as it spoils the story that unfolds here as it regresses to the what had already been foreshadowed in the previous film.  As a stand-alone film, this is a decent, suspenseful horror flick with some effective and chilling images, it’s just a shame that it’s related to something that was truly rotten.
5/10
