Ouija: Origin of Evil – A Rarely Good Prequel

Origin of Evil is a prequel to Ouija, a cheap advertising ploy by Hasbro in the form of B-movie quality horror. So no one was expecting any better from this franchise.

Then it does. Ouija: Origin of Evil is a haunted house thriller, exorcism drama, and home invasion horror in one. Unlike the first movie, this prequel gives us characters to care about and terror from an identifiable entity.

The struggles of the family are rooted in realism, which makes their characters relatable. Alice and her children are still dealing with grief while trying to make ends meet. So when Doris turns what is supposed to be a stunt into a real thing, Alice welcomes it as a sign of hope and a way to compensate for their family’s lies.

The movie takes its time to establish its characters and the possession of Alice, which justifies the scare tactics that follow. The movie is also self-aware in playing around with horror tropes and giving homage to classic films, which enables it to establish its own identity.

The cast turned in great performances, with Lulu Wilson delivering such a convincing performance that despite the movie’s familiar tricks, it still manages to be horrifying.

The production value helps in creating a sense of ominous atmosphere in a period-accurate setting. Unlike the first movie, you can see the effort behind the set design, costume, and cinematography. The movie opens with a title card and the end credits scroll as if you’re seeing it through a glass circle of the planchette. The digitally shot film was made to look like it was done with 35mm, so when then that deep focus camera work is used in a scene, it has that retro feel without being a rip-off.

Ouija – Origin of Evil is a rare prequel that can stand on its own. However, it is still haunted by the ghosts of its franchise.

The movie eventually circles back to the first installment but halfheartedly incorporates the Ouija board into the story, devolving into a typical horror tale of vengeful spirits. The origin of evil is a historical drama that is vaguely tied to the supernatural.

There are no clear connections between the build-up and the horrors that relentlessly come in towards the end. It throws almost everything to the audience including creepy dolls, demons, dark figures, creepy whispers, gravity-defying acrobatics, and plenty of jump scares.

In spite of this, the movie still manages to be an effective horror because of a smart script that paints an affecting story about a family who tries to deal with loss but gains something sinister in return.