Review of Oculus (2014) by Dirigiblepulp — 14 May 2014

Oculus is a movie full of atmosphere and rhythms. As directed by Mike Flanagan, there's a steady building undercurrent of dread at its core, something that works so gradually you forget how silly the initial premise is. Kaylie (a fun Karen Gillan) takes killing the eponymous mirror seriously, but she's full of wit and joy so it doesn't hang as needless portentousness on the audience. Tim (Brendon Thwaites), her brother, is the voice of reason that actually manages to goose the movie with some moments of genuine curiosity (is it the mirror that's crazy or them? It's actually an impressive feat that Flanagan makes you buy that these characters could indeed be crazy, and not just being used as unnecessary plot padding).

Edited flawlessly (also by Mike Flanagan), cutting between past and present on scenes that feel natural, all while building to a surreal and sustained climax of unease and terror. Even if it is a bit of letdown (the filmmaking makes you think you are watching something just a tad more exciting than it really is. It hits very familiar beats on its way to a predictable ending).

What's ultimately most impressive is that this movie full of unease and steady movements, and plot and character development (the movie casually asks questions about perception and reality, especially within the context of marriage; a point which Katee Sackhoff in particular helps drive home), and not based on any existing property, while also having an R rating (and not a very hard one at that; which is a compliment, evoking more like last year's ) got a nationwide release. It's too bad it didn't do better at the box office, but the mere fact this exists as a theatrical movie is a good thing.

The Newton Brothers did the score, and while it's not a very diverse or far reaching score, it is one that operates on the same level as the movie's pacing. The repeated use of snyth-y sounding "wuhb wuhbs" was genuinely hypnotizing and worked extremely well within the context of the movie.