Ouija serves up a huge plate of disappointment.
With Halloween coming up, we were expecting to be served one good horror movie after another but that hasn’t really been the case. Given that Annabelle was a let down, we were expecting a little bit more from Ouija as the trailer was pretty damn good. Okay so before we get into the review, we all know that we are not supposed to be messing with dark magic or summoning spirits via spirits boards right?
Ouija pretty much represents a spirit board is printed with letters, numbers, and other signs to which a planchette or movable indicator points, supposedly in answer to questions asked by those who are playing with it. The Ouija board on its own may sound pretty harmless but for those who aren’t aware, the board is believed to be used for demonic possession.
Tapping onto the believe that the Ouija board is used for demonic possession, director Stile White’s movie is based on just that. Like most horror films, the ghost comes in forms of women in Ouija. Now, we’re not saying that there is anything wrong with that because maybe possessed women make better scarers and inspire these stories but we were expecting a little more horror rather than just shock tactics considering that we’ve been blessed with other horror movies like The Conjuring as well as the Insidious instalments.
Set in modern times, the movie tells a tale about a group of teenagers who decides to play with the Ouija board having lost their friend Debbie (Shelley Henning). The group, lead by Laine (Olivia Cooke) is made up off Laine’s sister, Sarah (Ana Coto), and their friends Pete (Douglas Smith), Trevor (Darren Kagasoff) and Isabelle (Bianca A. Santos).
Having suddenly lost their friend Debbie, the group makes way to Debbie’s home where Laine insists on playing with the Ouija board as she desperately wanted to communicate with Debbie. As they start to call out to Debbie with the board, the first response they got from it was “Hi, Friend”. Immediately assuming that the spirit they were in contact with was Debbie, Laine goes on to ask it a couple of questions before weird things start happening like a complete blackout, the gas stove turning on, and chandeliers swinging. However, it was until Pete sees a reflection in a mirror and gets pushed into from the back that got the group of friends to really freak out and get out of the house.
Ever since then, the group has individually experienced weird things happening around them, all ending with a note that read “Hi, Friend”. As weird things start happening around them on their daily lives, the group of friends gathers once again at Debbie’s house to try and end the game. To no surprise, that did not work as the spirit they were in contact with revealed its true self as Laine looked into the planchette and sees 2 spirits – one of a young girl who’s lips were tied together and one of her mother who charges towards the group and throws the Ouija board up in air.
As that happened, Laine yells out that they are done playing and together with her friends they get out of the house as fast they could. Unfortunately for them, they don’t get to dictate when the game ends. Unusual things continue to happen around each of them individually before one of them dies.
Having lost yet another friend, Laine convinces Pete that they have to go back to Debbie’s house to find more information about the spirits that are haunting them in order to put an end to it. Having discovered old photos of the family that was once living there, the duo searched for information and discovers that one person from the family was still alive. Laine tracks down that one particular family member and is given information as to how she can put an end to the spirits haunting her and her friends. Unfortunately for them, the information given to them came with a twist.
Without wanting to risk spoiling Ouija even more for you horror fans, we are going to say this − much like most horror flicks, Ouija served us with creaking floors, home appliances that go off on their own, home furniture moving around on its own, mysterious writing that shows up in mysterious places and people suddenly dying.
Opening in cinemas on October 23rd (Thursday), we suggest you watch this movie without expectations. We leave you today with the trailer of Ouija.
For more information, visit the movie’s Facebook page.
