When Ouija released in 2014, it was heavily panned by critics but still went on to make 20 times its budget at the box-office! The success was bound to give birth to a sequel, which is releasing in the coming week! In the horror sequel titled Ouija: Origin of Evil, a game of Ouija leads to supernatural activity. Annalise Basso, Henry Thomas, Doug Jones, and Elizabeth Reaser star. The sequel is directed by Mike Flanagan.
Considering the dry response to the first film from the critics and the audience (C – cinemascore) the sequel is not expected to shine on the content front. Well, the reviews have started pouring in too. What do the reviews say?! Let us have a look:
1. Both Reaser and Thomas provide unexpected depths to what could have been schematic roles, and the younger performers are even better. – Hollywood Reporter (Thumbs Up)
2. Offers some easy scares and cheesy fun, but if nothing else, it gets points for not losing sight of its characters amidst those scares. – New York Daily News (Thumbs Up)
3. Equal parts horror masterclass and internal home-invasion thriller, Ouija is as chilling and nerve-racking as they come. – TheWrap (Thumbs Up)
4. The rare horror sequel made with considerably more wit, craft, and imagination than its predecessor, “Ouija: Origin of Evil” feels less like the continuation of a budding franchise than an apology for what went wrong the first time. – Variety (Thumbs Up)
5. Top-notch jump-scares and some unexpectedly lovely autumnal photography. – TimeOut (Thumbs Up)
6. In just about every conceivable way, classily orchestrated prequel “Ouija: Original of Evil” is a marked improvement over its predecessor, ratcheting up a number of expert chills even as the narrative rounds plenty of familiar bases. – TheFrightFile.com (Thumbs Up)
7. The attention to detail is impressive and the strong cast deliver on the emotional side of the story. – The List (Thumbs Up)
8. Scares are still rudimentary, but rooted in a sharper script. – Total Film (Thumbs Up)
9. …an exercise in pedestrian storytelling with minimal tension… – FilmLink (Thumbs Down)
10. Perhaps only the most lukewarm slumber party would truly need it. Yet if you were to ask whether Origin of Evil offers a better quality of timewasting than its predecessor, my finger would hover inexorably over YES. – The Guardian (Thumbs Up)
11. The film complements its goose-pimply frights with an unabashedly naked emotional gravitas. – Slant Magazine (Thumbs Up)
12. A huge improvement over the middling original… – Forbes (Thumbs Up)
13. Origin of Evil doesn’t stretch the conventions of teen-appeal spookiness too far, but is solidly put together, mounted with a pleasant conviction and runs to several fine performances and some decent scares. – Screen International (Thumbs Up)
Is this surprising?! For me it is! For a sequel to garner such great reviews as compared to the original, it is surprising. Especially on the horror front!
Ouija: Origin of Evil releases with a mild PG-13 rating on October 20, 2016.