Logan Sork Film Reviews
Oculus
The best horror films often have some form of subtext happening beneath the great haunts they create. Without ideas beneath the haunts, the result ends up feeling more like a haunted house ride. While these are definitely fun, they don’t really give you much to think about after you exit them. Thankfully Oculus is a film that understands both the thrills and tension a great haunting film should have as well as the exploration of some interesting concepts and ideas to make the experience more memorable.
Oculus is directed by Mike Flannagan and stars Karen Gillen, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane, Annalise Basso, and Garrett Ryan Ewald. The film follows siblings Kaylie (Gillen) and Tim (Thwaites) who have reconnected after being separated following a family tragedy a decade earlier. Tim learns that Kaylie has become obsessed with a mysterious mirror that their family had at the time of the tragedy. She believes that the mirror has a dark presence attached to it and has been responsible for heinous happenings over the past centuries. Seeking to prove that the mirror was responsible for their family falling apart, she asks Tim to help her with an experiment that will out the sinister force of the mirror. Though skeptical, Tim agrees, knowing full well that this dive into the past could bring back some dark memories.
As is common with director Mike Flannagan, the film relies more on disturbing imagery that is carefully placed throughout the film over random jump scares. Most horror films these days over-rely on the jump scare to get audiences. While they may be effective in the moment, they can quickly get old and predictable, making the film less memorable. Flanagan, however, takes an opposite approach with scares. Rather than bombarding the audience with frequent, loud scares, he takes his time, only hinting at disturbing images early on and steadily increasing the frequency as the film progresses. This not only helps the film in terms of pacing but is also more effective at getting under the audience’s skin. The reliance on imagery over sound also ensures that the disturbing imagery that appears on screen will be more memorable rather than being drowned out by an obnoxious sound.
Of course, disturbing imagery is only half the battle with a horror film. Without an interesting story or characters to keep you engaged, the imagery will not be as effective. Thankfully, the film focuses just as much on these elements as it does the scares. The characters in this film feel like actual people rather than sacrificial cutouts occupying other horror films. As the film progresses, we learn more about each character and how they have been impacted by the mirror and the events that transpired in its presence. This leads to some really engaging character moments that are elevated by equally compelling performances. Both Thwaites and Gillen are excellent and play off each other really well and bring a great sense of realism to their roles. Also excellent is Katee Sackhoff as the mother, whose mental breakdown and eventual madness throughout the film is just as saddening to witness as it is terrifying.
The story is also incredibly engaging not just in its concepts and ideas but also in its execution. The film has quite lofty ambitions in terms of exploring different ideas and concepts. Not only does it explore trauma and the implications it has on one’s mind, but it also explores concepts of family relations and obsession. The explorations of these different ideas can cause the pacing to feel off sometimes, but the way the film executes the story keeps it intact. By cutting back and forth between past and present, the film creates a unique narrative that allows these concepts to be explored in a way that does not under bake them. It also makes for some great psychological horror as the characters in the film struggle to separate past and present as well as reality from fiction. This twisty narrative helps the film stand out from most other haunting movies, but it can make the film a little inaccessible to some audiences who prefer linear narratives. Those who allow it, however, will be treated with a twisty, complex narrative that explores a lot more ideas than your typical horror film.
If there are any chinks in the armor to be found, the main one would have to concern the ending of the film. I won’t go into spoilers, but the final minutes of the film are a little unsatisfying for me. While I can see how the ending of the film makes sense for the story and ideas, I felt that it made some of the character arcs a little unsatisfying. This is a personal opinion, but I felt that the film sacrificed the opportunity to bring a true ending to the story for a potential sequel. While I can understand the studios wanting to do this, I think it undercuts the character arcs in the film just a little bit. This is especially frustrating given that had just a small change been made; it could have been a perfect ending to the film. The ending is by no means bad, it just sticks out like a fly in the ointment of an otherwise perfect painting.
Though the ending is a bit underwhelming, the rest of the film is pretty much perfect. It takes a typical haunting story and adds some new flare it, making for an equally terrifying and compelling psychological horror film. It also prioritizes characters, story, and ideas, allowing for the equally realized scares to have some weight to them. If you’re looking for a great supernatural thriller with a unique feeling, scary imagery, and a twisty story, then Oculus is sure to satisfy you.
9.5/10