As her brother is released from a psychiatric hospital, Kailie (Karen Gillan) tries to prove that the murder for which her sibling was convicted was actually committed by a supernatural force that dwells within an ancient mirror. As the two of them set up an experiment to try and document and prove the effect the mirror has, its malevolent force is felt more and more… or is it?
Sometimes when you’re watching a film by a relative newcomer director it has a special quality that makes you feel like you’re witnessing the flourishing of a filmmaking talent that will go on to do great things. Oculus is one such film. Director Mike Flanagan, who made Absentia just a few years back, has delivered an unsettling, tension-filled and wholly unpredictable mystery horror that’s both classically unnerving in the way that only the best horrors are while at the same time not afraid to show its hand of strangeness, conjuring a palpable sense of playful bewilderment in the viewer that keeps you guessing from start to finish.
The film uses a flashback structure to slowly reveal information as it goes on, cleverly filling in certain blanks and even revealing things in such a way that it makes you rethink certain events you’ve seen earlier in the film. But rather than that feeling like a gimmick as it may seem on paper, it actually helps add to the overall complexity and weirdness of the film. Occasionally it tips over into the repetitious with that structure but even then it has a great atmosphere of dread to fall back on, not to mention the moments of truly disturbing demonic imagery peppered throughout.
Gillan is impressive in the lead role, perfecting an American accent as she plays a convincingly terrified yet determined woman who will stop at nothing to prove what she believes. Brenton Thwaites plays opposite her nicely as the brother, at first utterly sceptical of her sister’s accusations but increasingly drawn into her ideas and the bizarre effect the mirror seems to be having. We also have Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane as the siblings’ mother and father, effective in their fulfilling of the Amityville Horror-esque parental roles.
Despite all its visual and editing trickery, used here to often stellar effect to unsettle the viewer, Oculus is a rather old-fashioned horror at its heart. It favours tension and a sense of impending horror rather than just relying on gore or tacky jump scares to frighten its audience, and it completely understands that its often what you don’t see and are left to imagine that can be the scariest thing. It takes its arguably generic and silly horror premise and takes it fittingly seriously so that we may do the same. It also hints at a mythology that has the potential to be explored in sequels, helped by an open ending that makes it a strong possibility. Have we got a new horror franchise ala Insidious on our hands? If so I’ll happily be there to tumble down this rabbit hole once more.
Oculus is released in UK cinemas on June 13th.