You see what it wants you to see.
Directed by Mike Flanagan.
Written by Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard and Jeff Seidman.
AKA
Oculus – Il riflesso del male (Oculus – The reflection of evil)
Oculus: El espejo del mal (Oculus: The mirror of evil)
Oculus: El espejo del diablo (Oculus: The mirror of the devil)
The film switches between two different times. In the present, Kaylie Russell (Karen Gillan) picks up her brother Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) when he is released from a mental facility. She has tracked down and taken an antique mirror associated with their past from the warehouse of the auction house where she works.
Eleven years earlier, they and their parents, Alan Russell (Rory Cochrane) and Marie Russell (Katee Sackhoff), have just moved into their new home. Alan has just bought the mirror for the room he is using as his office.
In the present, in their old house, Kaylie sets about trying to prove that the mirror has powers by keeping cameras trained on it and documenting everything. She’s done extensive research on the mirror and believes it’s responsible for forty-five deaths over its four centuries of existence. She eventually intends to “kill” the mirror. Tim, who is helping her, is sceptical, believing Kaylie is traumatised by events in their past.
Eleven years earlier, the lives of the Russell family are gradually falling apart amidst some strange and frightening occurrences…
Oculus is a good film. I enjoyed it even more the second time I watched it. I thought the story was interesting and not at all confusing despite it frequently switching between the two different times; if anything it was done very well and easily accessible. Karen Gillan brings a lot of energy to her role and really is the star of the film. It’s a bit of a modern classic really because it’s so cleverly constructed and at the same time stays true to the good old-fashioned haunted house film.
Also stars Annalise Basso as Young Kaylie, Garrett Ryan as Young Tim, James Lafferty as Michael Dumont, Scott Graham as Warren and Bob Gebert as Neighbor.
If you like Oculus you might like:
Sinister (2012)
The Possession (2012)
Annabelle (2014)
Ouija (2014)
