Review of Oculus (2014) by 2K13Ghost — 27 Oct 2014

Most horror movies right now are just full of blood and innards. Despite those two aspects being literally inside our bodies, it's just a shallow and overused cheap tactic that hasn't been effective for me for the past years. The Conjuring has tried the old classic horror formula, and it did well, but it didn't match the hype it built up for me. Not quite as Oculus.

Oculus is one of those not-so-popular movies in my country (Philippines) that should have been much more popular than The Conjuring. It brings a fresh air from the less-build-up-more-jumpscare trend right now. The story grew on me and the dread was consistent right when the mirror gets back into their house. The back story was - though understandably not in-depth- excellent, giving as a gist of just how dreadful the mirror's power and longevity was. This was the point when I bet to myself that they weren't going to win.

Most people say that the ending should be the best part of the movie. Though some of you may say otherwise, at least in my experience of conversing with people it's true. If an ending doesn't give closure or doesn't end the phenomenon, people are blinded by "Well that was **** as soon as the credits roll. This movie for me is different. The backstory already supported the ending. Two 20-year-olds who only had themselves to believe in was already a telltale sign. The movie's point was to show how two modern-day people had their lives ruined just the same as the past owners of the mirror and their failed fight against it. It showed that there are things that can't be conquered unlike the trope that "shattered protagonists defeat a strong phenomenon just through sheer will and fighting spirit.".

The whole movie is like a perfect adaptation of a short story. The short story gives you an idea what the phenomenon is about, and it ends with something that will stick with you for a while. It's THAT exact for my tastes. People would argue or beg to differ, and I understand we all have differing opinions, but this isn't your typical Hollywood common movie where spoon-feeding and simplicity matters. It's a great horror film with a masterful story. I haven't been scared for a long time, and this movie just hit me in the right spot.

Oculus has its faults, like some jumpscares here and there, but it wasn't excessive. Shock and terror are two different things. The first is easy to pull off and the second needs mastery. The plot of an object causing misery to the owner and sometimes people around isn't original. In a world where the horror industry has been spewing out of tons of movies and stories would soon exhaust the simple and easy tropes. If the were to succumb to these tropes, they at least have to do it right.

Oculus succumbed to that trope, but it did it right.