Oculus
April. 03,2014 RA woman tries to exonerate her brother's murder conviction by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.
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Reviews
Simply A Masterpiece
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Best movie of this year hands down!
This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
Having seen and appreciated Mike Flanagan's "Ouija: Origin of Evil", I decided to watch this with reasonably high expectations. The plot is basically about an alledgledly "cursed" mirror, which is mainly explained to us through the eyes of Kaylie, brilliantly played by Karen Gillan. He brother is released from a mental hospital from some dark event that happened when they were kids. The film takes its time and is very well paced and this works in its favor. This is a solid horror film that plays with time, reality and illusions, and it succeeds at every level, not letting go until the very end - which is weirdly satisfying.
Can not recommend. Stupid plot line, stupid story. I think someone literally just asked a pea what a good movie would be. Cause it's a pea brain film, for sure. The acting was good, and that's it.
Director: Mike FlanaganThis movie originally made itself known to me with quite a few strong reviews online and a bit of a buzz surrounding its relatively new to the genre director, Mike Flanagan. With such an unknown new title causing such a stir, I was very eager to see for myself if Oculus would deliver.BASIC PLOT: A sister is reunited with her brother after many years apart due to a dark family past. Obsessed with the notion that an old antique mirror hiding supernatural forces is to blame for the family's bloodstained history, she sets about trying to prove the mirror is indeed cursed and finally destroy it. But she will need some help...REVIEW: Straight off the bat, I found this movie an absolute joy to watch. The cinematography and camerawork are excellent, submerging most of the scenes in a dark, sepia-green, almost Fincher-esque finish that churns the viewers stomach throughout. Right from the get go, you can feel something is not quite right through the visuals and shadowy lighting. This feeling is intensified as the story progresses, expertly preying upon the viewers sense of unease as things unfold.The story is a classic. Not too many horror titles come to mind when I think of old mirrors, which is surprising as there can be something uniquely unnerving and almost other worldly about a reflection, especially in this mirror. The character development between the family is brilliantly played out, with a narrative taking place both in the past when the sister & brother were just kids and in modern day after so such has happened. This way the audience catches a glimpse into the creepy occurrences that transpired all those years ago in the family home while also following the siblings in present day and the choices they are now faced with.The acting is really first rate all round, Karen Gillan & Brenton Thwaites do a stirling job as the siblings (even if the latter does seem a tad on the bland emotionless side at times, but I think that is also half down to the character himself after he has been through so much to the point where he is now numb). Katie Sackoff delivers a phenomenal performance as the mother, her slow descent as she deals with her situation is palpable and adds weight and reality to the tale. Rory Cochrane also deserves top credit for his role as the Dad of the family, sucking the audience in for the ride as his family, his life and even his mind start to unravel around him.I also feel I need to strongly compliment director Mike Flanagan for delivering a fresh new and exciting approach to the horror genre. He has managed to perfectly balance a strong gripping story with constant scares and thrills to cater for all. The movie feels like a big step forward, nodding to the moody atmospheric horror titles of old while also acknowledging it's place in the twenty first century. The storyline even goes as far as including numerous modern high tech technologies and gadgets and yet it never once crosses the line into cheesy or unrealistic. I am looking forward to more gems from this flourishing new director.VERDICT: A fantastic find. A well thought out and portrayed horror tale containing enough tense armchair gripping moments and downright nasty scares to make you pause before you next glance in the mirror! (9/10)
This is a well made, well acted, well directed, well written movie that I didn't like and would never recommend to anyone. That's because this movie, after the first 20 minutes or so, goes like this:They are walking around the house. 5 minutes later- flashback to a time period that is not disclosed to the viewer. They are walking around the house again. 5 minutes later- flashback to a slightly different time period that is not disclosed to the viewer. Walking around the house again. 2 minutes later- flashback to a completely different time period that is not disclosed to the viewer. More house exploring. 1 minute later- new time period- House walking. 30 seconds later- new time period.It's just not an enjoyable watch, or at least wasn't for me. I read other reviews, I thought I was prepared for flashbacks. Not like this. Nothing like this. I've never seen such incessant, liberal use of constant flashbacks. This movie did so much right. -sufficiently creepy, doesn't rely on jump scares (were there even any?) -well acted -good music, good effects -just fantastic all around.Except for the flashbacks. You wouldn't think that would be a deal breaker, but guys - this is a new level of fail. It almost has to be seen to be believed, although I don't recommend you waste your time. I'm rambling, good night.