Oculus (2013) [Movie Review]

There is a constant supply of horror movies made every month. Some good, most bad. I've said it before, I'll say it again, they are usually the films with the poorest writing, making them hardly watchable. I am happy to say that Oculus does not follow the same trend.

The film follows brother and sister, Tim and Kaylie Russell, who as children encountered a haunted mirror that led to Tim being placed into a mental institution. Now adults, Kaylie intends to prove Tim was wrongfully accused of events by filming, and eventually destroying, the mirror.

Simply put, Oculus is horror done right. The film does not rely on the jump scares that so many others focus on. Instead, they earn their scare with insanely creepy visuals, mysterious characters, and psychologically scarring moments. And one single jump scare.

It's not often that I find myself enjoying horror films, so this was a treat. Such brilliant writing, made even more wonderful by the actors bringing the words to life. And it is left fairly open ended, leaving the viewer to decide whether the mirror was truly haunted, or if this all happened in Tim's head. If you guys have time, Oculus is a great horror flick that is definitely worth looking into.

Rating: 9/10

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