Rated
R (Terror, Violence, Some Disturbing Images and Brief Language)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes
Cast-
Karen
Gillan-Kaylie Russell
Brenton
Thwaites-Tim Russell
Katee
Sackhoff-Marie Russell
Rory
Cochrane-Alan Russell
Annalise
Basso-Young Kaylie Russell
Garrett
Ryan-Young Tim Russell
James
Lafferty-Michael Dumont
Miguel
Sandoval-Dr. Shawn Graham
Kate
Siegel-Marisol Chavez
Scott
Graham-Warren
Justin
Gordon-Mark (Supervisor)
Dave
Levine-Robert Clancy
Stephanie
Minter-Virginia Lasser
Lesa
Johnson-Mary O'Connor
Allison
Boyd-Beatrice O'Connor
James
Flanagan-Tobin Capp
Alexandra
Beer-Marcia Wicker
Marc
Evans-Oliver Jeffries
Toni
White-Alice Carden
Bob
Gebert-Neighbor
Directed
by Mike Flanagan
 |
| Where is Doctor Who when you need him? |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at AMC Empire 25.
We
all have a mirror in our homes, sometimes more than one. Whether they're
hanging in your bathroom or bedroom, mirrors allow us to see and make ourselves
look presentable to others (or maybe take one of those annoying 'selfies' that are
now all the rage these days) but have you ever wondered if someone other than
yourself was staring back at you while you're looking in? According to Benjamin
Radford's article Do You Believe in Bloody Mary? on the Discovery News website, mirrors 'have been the subject of
legend and superstition for millennia.' You might have heard many times that breaking
a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. Given the prevalence of mirrors in
folklore and superstition, it's rather surprising that we haven't seen more
horror movies revolving around them. Yes, there was 2008's "Mirrors"
from director Alexandre Aja (along with its 2010 direct-to-video sequel) but
other than the 'jaw-ripping' scene and the presence of Jack Bauer, um, I mean
Kiefer Sutherland, it was pretty forgettable. In fact, critics ripped the film
apart upon its release and it currently has a paltry 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Mike
Flanagan's "Oculus," which revolves around a haunted ornate mirror,
fortunately is not as bad as Aja's gory flick but neither is it the amazing genre
revelation that some critics have stated. Based on a well-received 2006 short,
"Oculus" doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to things that go
bump in the night but its creepy atmosphere, clever narrative structure, and
impassioned performances elevate this low-budget horror film.
After
experiencing a traumatic incident when he was ten-years-old, Tim Russell
(Brenton Thwaites) was sent to St. Aidan's Mental Facility for long-term psychiatric
evaluation. He is finally released on his twenty-first birthday after coming to
terms with the tragedy that befell his parents and reconnects with his older
sister Kaylie (Karen Gillan), who was sent into foster care following the
incident. Tim is ready to move on and rebuild his life but Kaylie is quick to
remind him of the promise they made eleven years earlier. Now working as an
antiques dealer, Kaylie has managed to find the so-called 'Lasser Glass,' a
four-hundred year old ornate mirror that is supposedly possessed by an evil
supernatural entity. Believing that this entity was responsible for her parents'
(Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane) deaths, Kaylie returns to her childhood home
in an attempt to draw the spirit out and kill it once and for all. Tim tags
along and repeatedly tries to convince his sister that they made the ghost story
up to cope with their shared trauma but she refuses to listen. When the two
siblings begin experiencing strange phenomena, they find themselves unable to
differentiate between reality and illusion.
In
his 2002 Encyclopedia of Urban Legends,
author Jan Harold Brunvand describes the Bloody Mary legend as a ritual where a
'person—often an adolescent girl—is supposed to chant [Bloody Mary's name] a
set number of times (3, 10, 50, 100, etc.) while staring into a mirror in a
darkened room (often a bathroom)—sometimes lit by candles—in order to summon
out of the mirror the avenging spirit of [the] witch or ghoul.' What happens
varies from person to person but let's just say for now that it often doesn't
end very well…if you believe in such stories of course.
There's
no summoning ritual for the 'Lasser Glass' in "Oculus," as the
mirror's malevolent reach affects anyone in close proximity to it. Premiering
at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, "Oculus"
was soon acquired by Blumhouse Productions, which has made a name for itself in
recent years by specializing in micro-budget horror films that yield a big
reward at the box office. It is directed by Mike Flanagan, who made quite a
splash in 2011 with his Kickstarter-funded horror film "Absentia." Although
it was only released on home video and VOD, "Absentia" managed to
snatch up a plethora of awards from various film festivals. Written by Flanagan
and Jeff Howard and based on the 2006 short of the same name,
"Oculus" won't leave you quaking in fear but it has a creepy
atmosphere and a better-than-average mystery that will keep viewers guessing
until the very end. However, what really elevates this picture is the strong drama
and unique narrative structure. When we first meet them, we learn that siblings
Kaylie and Tim have managed to survive their shared traumatic experience when
they were children but as adults the two cope in different ways. Tim has more
or less made peace with the fact that his parents were, for lack of a better
term, dysfunctional. He believes that it was their bad choices that led to
their deaths and is ready to move on. Unfortunately, Kaylie isn't so
well-adjusted. Although she has managed built a life for herself with her
loving boyfriend Michael (James Lafferty), Kaylie is obsessed with revenge,
revenge against the supernatural entity that took her family. But does this entity
even exist…or is it just a product of Kaylie's mind, a symptom of her being
unable to move on? This question is bandied about during the film's first half,
with Flanagan hinting that perhaps the demon that Kaylie needs to kill is not
the one in the mirror but the one residing within her. Thus, the demon only
exists in a metaphorical sense and Kaylie would just need to let go of her
thirst for vengeance to defeat it.
Of
course, it soon turns out that the demon is very real indeed (otherwise we'd
have no movie), prompting "Oculus" to enter extended 'mindf*ck'
territory. The story frequently jumps between the past and the present as
Flanagan cleverly builds off the two timelines until they finally merge into
one horrible sad present. In a way it represents the siblings' painful past as
an ugly stain that can't ever be washed away. Not only does the mirror haunt
them but so does their parents' violent deaths. Unlike most horror films, "Oculus"
isn't overly concerned with making viewers constantly jump in their seats,
although there are a few jump scares thrown in. Rather, it is more interested
in making viewers try to discern what is and isn't real, leading to some
genuinely spooky moments such as the 'apple-masquerading-as-lightbulb' scene
that has been heavily marketed in the trailers. What's also great about the
film is that the characters aren't stumbling around with no idea what's going
on. Kaylie is fully aware of the grave threat the mirror poses, with Flanagan
going into extreme detail with her plans but as the famous saying goes, 'The
best-laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry.'
Despite
this being a low-budget horror flick, the cast deliver committed performances
and not only sell the stakes but the drama as well. Karen Gillan, primarily
known for her role as Amy Pond on the popular BBC television show "Doctor
Who," offers a refreshingly different take on the horror heroine. Gillan's
Kaylie is determined not to be the victim again and I love how the actress
brings a sort of hyper-competence to her character. Brenton Thwaites, who will
next be seen in the film adaptation of Lois Lowry's young adult novel The Giver, isn't quite as strong but he
remains convincing as an audience surrogate, with his character Tim conflicted in
separating reality and illusion. Playing their younger selves are Annalise
Basso and Garrett Ryan, both of whom are remarkably impressive as we watch them
slowly overcome their helplessness and fight back. Finally, there's Katee
Sackhoff (Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace from the "Battlestar Galactica"
reimagining) and Rory Cochrane, who are both heartbreaking and terrifying as
their characters gradually descend into madness.
Released
on April 11, 2014, "Oculus" has received solid reviews with 72% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it's 'emphasis on dread over gore' and noted
that it might be 'the first spine-tingling chapter in a new franchise for
discerning horror fans.' Unfortunately, the audience I had to sit with during
the advance screening was by far the worst group I've ever had to endure and
it's a reminder of why I dread watching horror movies in theaters as the people
just cannot shut the f*ck up! I hope one day all theaters adopt a no tolerance
policy toward talking and texting like the Alamo Drafthouse. If you can't be
quiet or not text, then you don't deserve to be in the theater or have your
money refunded. I've digressed far enough so let me just conclude that
"Oculus" doesn't rewrite the horror genre but it does offer enough
thrills and chills, as well as some intriguing ideas, to make it worth a watch.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
"You
promised me you'd never forget what really happened."
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