Review of Oculus (2014) by Carl A — 10 Apr 2015

This is, quite possibly, the best horror/suspense movie I've ever seen. What makes it so good is that it doesn't rely on guts-and-gore for shock effect. Although there is a fair amount of G-n-G in the movie, that's not its primary focus; the focus is on messing with the viewer's perceptions. What's real? What isn't? Is this happening now, or is it happening in the past? Which events are occurring in the present, and which are occurring in the characters' memories? Or have the past and the present become one thing?

As the old advertisement said, "Is it live, or is it Memorex?" The characters in the movie can't tell, and you, the viewer, reach a point where you can't tell, either. The past/present scenes are artfully blended, switching back and forth and fitting seamlessly. By the time the end comes, you are so unsure of what to believe that you're not sure whether to believe it.

I rate a horror movie by how much it "grabs" me and how long it "haunts" me after I've seen it. On a five-star scale, this movie rates a "ten" on both counts.