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Lulu Wilson as Doris Zander in the movie Ouija: Origin of Evil directed by Mike Flanagan. The movie, a prequel to the 2014 film Ouija, improves on the original.
Ouija: Origin of Evil K (out of 4) Starring Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson. Co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan. 99 minutes. Opens Friday. 14A.
Who knew a Ouija board had a back story?
That’s the unlikely premise of Ouija: Origin of Evil, a prequel to the 2014 film, which became an unexpected box office smash.
Just in time for Halloween, we return to the same century-old house, albeit several decades earlier, during the swinging 1960s with its big, sleek gas guzzlers, floral print fashions and hairdos like Mary Tyler Moore.
Raking up the past of an Ouija board that more recently menaced so many hapless teenagers may not seem like a particularly auspicious idea, but the result here is surprisingly good.
That’s because the script, co-written by director Mike Flanagan, is darker and more intricate than the first film, which — let’s face it, teens in jeopardy getting picked off one by one — is beyond stale.
Flanagan, who co-wrote and directed the marvelously chilling Oculus, demonstrates a far surer hand at stoking the tension and doling out the scares than Stiles White, director of the first Ouija.
The story is simple: widowed mom Alice Zander is a faux fortune teller who draws her two daughters into her well-meaning scam to maintain a home she can’t really afford.
But when Alice adds a Ouija board to her bag of tricks, it’s younger daughter Doris who soon falls under the influence of a demonic spirit who plays on the loss of her father.
The casting is the film’s second big strength, with great performances all around, especially Lulu Wilson as young Doris, whose resemblance to a young Reese Witherspoon somehow makes her performance even creepier. Annalise Basso delivers a sympathetic performance as older sister Lina and Henry Thomas — remember the kid from E.T.? — does a fine job in the role of Father Tom.
As the saying goes, money is the root — or origin, if you will — of all evil and it’s clear this film was inspired by the surprise success of its predecessor.
But Ouija: Origin of Evil surpasses the original on all fronts, a dark and well-executed addition to the horror genre.
Mike Flanagan, who co-wrote and directed the movie, demonstrates a sure hand at stoking tension and doling out scares