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It's not often that a movie, much less a horror movie, really makes me stop and think hard about what I just saw. Oculus is one of those rare films that actually does that.
For those of you who don't have any idea what Oculus is (Isn't that the virtual reality company that Facebook just bought?), I'll give you the basic lowdown.
Kaylie Russell (Doctor Who's Karen Gillan) and her brother Tim (Brenton Thwaites) had a very traumatizing experience when they were growing up. They witnessed their father go crazy and attack them and their mother due to being possessed by a creepy looking antique mirror. Eleven years later, they return to their childhood house to prove the mirror was the cause and to kill the entity responsible.
Let's just say that things don't go as planned.
Oculus is definitely a psychological thriller. It switches back and forth from their original experience with the Lasser Glass (that's what the mirror is called apparently) to their present day experiment with it as the Glass is using Kaylie and Tim's past against them. The transition between the two is so good, so utterly seamless that by the end of the movie, you are just as confused as to what is really happening as much as the main characters are. It is this aspect that is Oculus's strongest selling point, and leaves plenty of room for rewatchability, as well as potential sequels.
As far as scare value, the film is relatively light on it. There aren't really a whole lot of ridiculous scares like some movies, but it really plays with your perceptions and makes you think. While this is perfectly fine for me, I know that some people would argue that it isn't scary enough to be considered horror. While I can see that point of view, I also believe that the way that you never quite know what is real or a figment of the mirror's torture is what makes it so successful.
In an age where horror movies consistently get low ratings, Oculus stands out from the pack. I'm giving it 8 stars. The attention to detail and rewatchability are quite high, and even though the plot itself is relatively simple, the film doesn't necessarily suffer because of it. In my honest, (semi)professional opinion, if you are a fan of horror films, or just want to see a movie that really makes you think, definitely get out there and see Oculus now. Don't wait for it to come out on DVD, you might regret it.
Kaylie Russell (Doctor Who's Karen Gillan) and her brother Tim (Brenton Thwaites) had a very traumatizing experience when they were growing up. They witnessed their father go crazy and attack them and their mother due to being possessed by a creepy looking antique mirror. Eleven years later, they return to their childhood house to prove the mirror was the cause and to kill the entity responsible.
Let's just say that things don't go as planned.
Oculus is definitely a psychological thriller. It switches back and forth from their original experience with the Lasser Glass (that's what the mirror is called apparently) to their present day experiment with it as the Glass is using Kaylie and Tim's past against them. The transition between the two is so good, so utterly seamless that by the end of the movie, you are just as confused as to what is really happening as much as the main characters are. It is this aspect that is Oculus's strongest selling point, and leaves plenty of room for rewatchability, as well as potential sequels.
As far as scare value, the film is relatively light on it. There aren't really a whole lot of ridiculous scares like some movies, but it really plays with your perceptions and makes you think. While this is perfectly fine for me, I know that some people would argue that it isn't scary enough to be considered horror. While I can see that point of view, I also believe that the way that you never quite know what is real or a figment of the mirror's torture is what makes it so successful.
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| 8 stars is great for any movie, especially a horror movie |
In an age where horror movies consistently get low ratings, Oculus stands out from the pack. I'm giving it 8 stars. The attention to detail and rewatchability are quite high, and even though the plot itself is relatively simple, the film doesn't necessarily suffer because of it. In my honest, (semi)professional opinion, if you are a fan of horror films, or just want to see a movie that really makes you think, definitely get out there and see Oculus now. Don't wait for it to come out on DVD, you might regret it.
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