Review of Oculus (2014) by Faisal A — 18 Mar 2015

Alan Russell: I've met my demons and they are many. I've seen the devil, and he is me.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, although I'm so tired of it. Modern horror films are desperately struggling to differentiate themselves, but they so often fail. Jump scares, poor acting and a poor story seem to be all they have to offer. While "Oculus" is definitely not a bad horror film, it's not a good one either. It's simply okay. The story was average, there were some good things and bad things, but everything else falls right into the same place that all other horror films struggle to get out of.

"Oculus" has a story that requires too much explaining. Actually, it doesn't require too much, we just get too much. The target audience is most likely teenagers who want to see mindless jump scares, and even if this movie is trying to do something interesting, it ends up being boring anyway. The story is explained in depth and it's still a little confusing and unsure of itself. A lot of it doesn't actually make any sense either.

The scares in the movie are like any other horror film, although they're slightly more unsettling. I was a little freaked out by some of the startling images, but like usual, after about 3 seconds it's just back to mostly boredom. I was somewhat interested in the story, I do admit, it did have my attention. There's not much suspense though. I strongly believe a horror film should also scare you simply with its idea, and not just quick jump scares. Seriously people, go watch "Psycho" or "The Shining" and learn what a true horror film is.

Ultimately, "Oculus" is pretty boring. It's not nearly as bad as others have been recently, it tries, I give it a 100 for effort. If only effort could get you places. It's got a somewhat promising idea, but the acting is average, the jump scares fall flat and the movie fails to keep you thinking or have you actually legitimately frightened.