In a month seemingly made for movies based in raising the macabre, we choose to open October with a review of the Mike Flanagan directed movie Oculus (2013). Written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard based on a short screenplay by Jeff Seidman, this horror film mixes in mystery, thriller, supernatural and psychological elements based on mirror central to movie’s action.
Oculus primarily tells the story of the Russell family in a parallel yet intertwined story set in in the years 2013 and 2002. The latter timeframe begins with Alan Russell, a software engineer, moving into a new home with his wife, Marie, his 12-year-old daughter Kaylie and his 10-year-old son Tim. The family acquired an antique mirror acquired for the new house. Rory Cochrane, Katee Sackhoff, Annalise Basso and Garrett Ryan portrayed Alan, Marie, Kaylie and Tim, respectively.
The 2013 timeline begins with an introduction to the siblings in separate contexts. We meet Kaylie with her fiancé, Michael Dumont, at an auction house where we witness bidding on the antique mirror from the family house. We also meet Tim being granted his release, upon his 21st birthday, from a psychiatric hospital by Dr. Shawn Graham. It is in this timeline that we learn Kaylie has procured access to the mirror, bringing it and her brother back to the childhood home where Alan and Marie had died with Tim having been psychiatrically responsible for the murder. Karen Gillan, James Lafferty, Brenton Thwaites and Miguel Sandoval portrayed Kaylie, Michael, Tim and Dr. Graham.
With access to the mirror, the childhood house, and her brother, Kaylie has set out an elaborate plan to prove that her brother is innocent. The nature of trust, sanity and, finally, when the story was happening at any point in time mixed in the psychological thriller and mystery elements of the movie. That violence figures in, along with questions of marriage fidelity with Marisol Chavez (as portrayed by Kate Siegel), are really just the tip of an ever increasing iceberg. The suspense factor largely works for Oculus. As is typical for many horror films, motivations and corresponding actions tend to be suspect upon occasion within the film.
I appreciate that Oculus focused less on graphic violence than some other contemporary horror movies have. There is a fair amount of that baked into the storylines for sure, which helps the film work from a storyline perspective in playing up the psychological thriller and sanity storylines. These points together should be taken as my saying that there’s more value in this story than there could have been if other choices had been made. All told, I grant Oculus as directed by Mike Flanagan 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.
Matt – Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Matt Lynn Digital 