‘Ouija: Origin Of Evil’ TV Spot: Can Director Mike Flanagan Make A Good Sequel To A Bad Movie?
I recently caught up with 2014’sOuijaand I was simply bowled over by its badness. My standards are low enough that I enjoyed the (underrated?) but poorly receivedAnnabellethat same year, so that probably says something about the languid, overly lit, predictable, and just plain not scaryOuija. However, the filmdid well enough at the box office to warrant a sequeland Universal has made a bold move withOuija: Origin of Evil. Rather than simply churn out another movie in the same mold, they’ve hired a strong director who filmed a screenplay that seemingly has nothing to do with the first movie beyond its title.
You can check out this course correction in a new extended TV spot and it’s remarkablejust how different this movie looks from its predecessor.
I won’t sayOuija: Origin of Evillooks great or even good, but it does look like a perfectly serviceable haunted house movie, which is more than you can say for the first film. The period setting instantly lends it a sense of style and the idea that a real demon enters the home of a charlatan psychic is clever hook. What’s most promising though is the involvement of directorMike Flanagan, whose divisiveOculuswas one of my favorite horror movies of 2013 and whoseHushis a very fun and crafty slasher movie. With his name in the credits, I’m willing to give this one a shot.
Interestingly, this will be the third Mike Flanagan-directed horror movie to arrive in 2016.Hushwas quickly acquired by Netflix earlier this year (and can be watched there right now) andBefore I Wakeis set to arrive sometime this fall after a lengthy delay. If all three movies are good, someone needs to send Mr. Flanagan a nice gift certificate or something.
Ouija: Origin of Evilarrives in theaters onOctober 21, 2016(just in time for Halloween). Here’s the official synopsis:
