"When you talk to the other side, you never know who will be listening." This is Ouija: Origin of Evil. This supernatural horror film directed by Mike Flanagan, written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard, and based on the infamous Hasbro board game of the same name and characters created by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White. It is a prequel to the 2014 film Ouija. In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her daughters add a new stunt to bolster their seance scam business by inviting an evil presence into their home, not realizing how dangerous it is.
After the lukewarm reception of Ouija, producer Jason Blum wanted to make a film that was significantly different than the original. This appealed to Flanagan who stated in an interview that he has "allergy to sequels" Blum let Flanagan work on the type of horror film he wanted which was a period piece that dealt with a family dynamic. There was some talk from the beginning about whether or not the film should have any connections at all to the original, but Flanagan himself was opposed to this, and instead opted to make references to the original subtle to welcome new viewers while also entertaining fans of the original. The Changeling (1980) was a major influence on the film, with Flanagan screening the film with his director of photography "like ten times" while also watching other classics such as The Exorcist (1973) and The Watcher in the Woods (1980). It was then that the pair hit off the idea to film the movie as if it were the 1970s, using only technology that would only have been available in that era. By September 2015, Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, and Doug Jones were cast. Around the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late October. Filming took place in Los Angeles and was shot on the Arri Alexa XT Plus cameras. Flanagan said he wanted to shoot the film as if it were to be shot in 1971. Some techniques included antique lenses, scene fades, and camera zooms instead of steadicams. Other simulated techniques: dust on the negative, subtle warping of the audio track, reel jumps and split-diopter, where both the foreground and background are in focus. Flanagan then added elements in post-production in order to add a retro feel to the film and to give the appearance of a movie shot on film. The film was cut down to ninety minutes from a hundred and thirty minutes.
This tale of a family and a haunted object pulls all the wearingly familiar tricks, including ghostly figures appearing in the shadows, but there are a couple of well executed jump-out-your seat moments, some nice touches of humor. This is thanks to the solid performances given by the cast.
Simon says Ouija: Origin of Evil receives:
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