Review – OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL (2016)

I never bothered seeing the first Ouija. Honestly, why would I wanna waste my time watching a movie about a board game? Besides, the trailer looked like a typical horror film filled with ineffective jump scares and dumber-than-dirt teen protagonists. But when my sister and her friend wanted to see the second installment, Ouija: Origin of Evil, I, having nothing better to do, decided to tag along with them – and was surprised that the second entry is actually a decent film. 

Los Angeles, 1965. Elizabeth Reaser (Alice Zander) is a phony psychic and a single mother raising her two daughters, Lina (Analisse Basso) and Doris (Lulu Wilson). Elizabeth begins using an Ouija board during her “readings.” When Doris begins messing about with it, she unleashes a demonic force that begins taking control of her. Will Elizabeth and Lina be able to combat this evil entity?

Okay, so no original storytelling here. But what Ouija: Origin of Evil has going for it is genuine creepiness, most of which is provided by Lulu Wilson’s portrayal of Doris. She really has you believing that she is demonically possessed – even before she actually is possessed. And once she is possessed, she delivers moments that are down-right nightmare fuel. The rest of the cast, while fine in their roles, don’t really distinguish themselves in any way.

While the film contains the usual jump scares, some are effective because of the tense build-up to them. But the aforementioned creepiness is Ouija: Origin of Evil’s strong point and the filmmakers are wise to exploit it. And when everything is revealed, most are gonna be questioning the history of their homes. I won’t spoil it for you, but suffice to say the history of the Zander house put a smile on my face because it ties into something I have an interest in. Bravo.

Final Thoughts:

While Ouija: Origin of Evil is certainly no masterpiece, nor an original piece of writing, it does deliver an entertaining time at the movies. Lulu Wilson’s performance and the creep factor alone make the film worth checking out.