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Regular readers of my blog may recall a previous article I published titled Something Scary . Where I discussed the difference between genuine horror stories and the excessive jump-scare riddled gory schlock that pretends to be scary. To showcase the difference, I directly compared todays subject, Oculus, to one of its blood-bathed contemporaries, Saw. Also, in my most recent review for Hellraiser, I commented that, of the many sub-genres of horror, I tend to prefer ghost stories and psychological thrillers. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to my wonderful readers when I say that Oculus is one my favorite horror films of all time. Because not only is it a perfect ghost story with lots of psychological thrills, it’s simply a beautifully crafted piece of cinema in its own right. One that anyone, regardless of their taste in horror, or lack thereof, can appreciate.
The story follows a young man named Tim (Brenton Thwaites), who has just been released from the psychiatric ward. Apparently, when he was a boy, he murdered his father in self defense, and was sentenced to counseling until such time as he was ready to return to society. His sister, Kaylie (Karen Gillan), awaits her brother with open arms. After they celebrate their reunion, Kaylie informs her brother of her plans to exonerate him of his alleged crimes, by proving once and for all who the real culprit was. According to Kaylie, the factual murderer of their parents was...a haunted mirror.
It turns out that prior to the inciting incident, their father had purchased an antique mirror, which according to Kaylie’s research, has a long history of previous owners. All of whom exhibited unusual psychological breakdowns, resulting in multiple murders and suicides. Having witnessed the potential effects of the haunted mirror, Kaylie has set up a highly detailed plan to prove the mirror’s evil & supernatural abilities, and hopefully destroy it in the process. Thereby preventing any further tragedies and clearing her brothers good name.
However, conflict arises when Tim reveals he does not believe in his sisters claims. For every supernatural theory Kaylie suggests, Tim has a perfectly logical and realistic counterpoint. As such, there is never any clear answer to the supernatural theories pertaining to the mirror. As far as Tim is concerned, it’s just an old mirror his father bought that just happened to arrive shortly before things went horribly bad for them all. So, is the mirror haunted, or was it something the kids made up to survive their shared trauma?
Ambiguity plays a significant part in this well-crafted story. Having no clear answers to the situation creates a sense of unease. In most modern horror films, when they’re not hurting your ears with loud blaring jump-scares, they’re also overly-explaining the mythology. For some reason, they tend to think that audiences are either too stupid to follow along, or they think we are incapable of suspending our disbelief. Because of this, many modern horror films will have large sections dedicated to explaining what the threat is, where it came from, and what it wants. Thereby eliminating an essential element of horror; mystery. When telling a horror story, the threat is more menacing and frightening when we, the audience, don’t completely understand it. In other words, less is more.
What sells the story is the cast. Brenton Thwaites and Karen Gillan have remarkable chemistry and put tremendous amounts of conviction into their performances. They carry the movie on their shoulders for every second of screen time. While they are the MVPs of the film, it should not detract from the rest of the talented cast. Annalise Basso and Garrett Ryan, who play the main characters as children, are especially fascinating to watch. It’s a tour-de-force of talent that should not go unnoticed.
Director & editor Mike Flanagan, whom some of you may remember from last years Doctor Sleep and the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, showcases his genuine understanding of proper horror storytelling. Through calculated camera language, carefully crafted lighting, and meticulous sound design, Mr. Flanagan puts many modern horror films to shame. Hollywood would do right to bring on Mr. Flanagan as a consultant on all future horror films.
Oculus is the real deal. It’s a scary thriller that knows how to play with your mind and make you question everything you see. It is the perfect companion for any Halloween Movie Marathon. If you haven’t seen this one yet, I encourage you to get on that soon. Oh, and pay no attention to that dark figure you see in the mirror. It’s not really there. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s not.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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