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Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s got the most monstrous childhood of all? Mirrors have been a staple of horror movies for a very long time, but very rarely are the mirrors themselves the monster. Mike Flanagan brings out the demons in Oculus, a paranoia party about a demonic mirror that warps time and space, and will at the very least make you eat some really unappetizing, sharp things.
Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror’s evil spell.
Join Clay and Amanda as they get into the finer points of 18th Century Stanley Tucci lookalikes, lengthy exposition directly into camera, demonic interior decorating, mischievous wall hangings, the most dangerous apple since the book of Genesis, expendable boyfriends, lax auction house security, home fingernail removal, and of course our favorite returning champion, questionable parenting!
Based on his other movies, Mike Flanagan clearly has a love of Stephen King, and it shows in Oculus, a story that would arguably be right at home in King’s body of work. A really interesting, if uneven, early work from 2020’s Czar of the bizarre, Oculus will give you chills, make you question what your eyes are showing you, and at the very least make sure you look at what you’re eating before you take the next bite. So get the windex, pull up a booby trap or two, and join us in gazing into Oculus…if you DARE!