Definitely one of the more original horror movies to hit multiplexes in some time, Mike Flanagan’s Oculus is based on his 2006 short film and does a great job of delivering everything you could want from a paranormal tale about a killer mirror. Flanagan effectively turns his inanimate killer very much into an entity that’s just as deadly as anything with a pulse- a remarkable feat- all while cleverly concocting an intriguing and complicated tale that isn’t afraid to get a little nasty.
The story of Oculus follows siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) as they attempt to reveal the truth about a traumatic childhood event they both suffered decades ago that just so happens to be linked to a centuries-old mirror once owned by their family. Strong-minded Kaylie has spent years searching for The Lasser Glass (a name that the infamous mirror was given after its first owner was found dead by mysterious causes) and when she finally gets her hands on it, things go horribly wrong. Of course, this causes both Kaylie and Tim to question everything they believed about the mirror, the truth of the tragic events of their childhood and just how tight their familial bond really is once the mirror pulls out all its deadly tricks on the duo.
What really sets Oculus apart from many of its paranormal counterparts is that whenever you think you know where the story is going, Flanagan finds an intelligent way to create a cinematic swerve that never feels artificial or forced, a feat that few modern spookfests have been able to pull off as of late. The film's narrative structure, which admirably involves quickly moving back and forth between the past and present, becomes more elaborate as Flanagan and his killer mirror do a bang-up job of manipulating his characters and the audience in some playful and jaw-dropping ways throughout.
Oculus does get a bit too talky for its own good every now and again though, as much of Flanagan’s story is driven by large chunks of exposition, generally delivered by the truly stellar Karen Gillan, that will undoubtedly test the patience of viewers who are looking for something that’s more of a continual onslaught of scares. For those of you who are able to enjoy a movie that takes its time and that successfully builds to a satisfying- and truly effed up- finale (kudos Mr. Flanagan!), Oculus continuously propels forward by its powerful sense of dread coupled with the nifty use of dual realities that results in some truly shocking and visceral moments that I certainly wasn’t expecting.
Movie Score: 3.5/5
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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