I’ve always been a sucker for a self-fulfilling prophecy and a fan of stories that take unexpected twists and turns and Mike Flanagan’s 2013 film OCULUS checks both those boxes. I watched OCULUS for the first time in 2014, and there are scenes that I still can’t get out of my head.
OCULUS feels like a bit of a unique film, and one that’s aged particularly well. For one, there aren’t many jump scares—there’s a sense of dread and more than a few thrilling moments, but Flanagan is able to create shock much more subtly. The cast is excellent; most notably Karen Gillan (MCU’s Nebula, JUMANJI) and Katee Sackhoff (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, STAR WARS’ Bo-Katan Kryze). The story itself is so unique; siblings Kaylie (Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) try to destroy the mirror that led to the death of their parents 11 years prior. There’s no “big bad”; the mirror operates by manipulating the minds of those in its vicinity, which lends itself to excellently crafted and compelling visual narratives.
The story and cast make OCULUS one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I thought it would be a frustrating rewatch, but the horror comes from truly being in the shoes of the characters; the movie gets consistently more convoluted as it progresses, but Flanagan is able to keep us as oriented as we should be.
You can watch OCULUS on Paramount+ and reflect on this gem of a horror movie.