Oculus (Exclusive Series) (Hulu/Amazon Prime thru Starz add-on)
- Matt Palmer
- Oct 10, 2021
- 3 min read
Initial release date: April 11, 2014
Studios: Relativity Media/Blumhouse/WWE Studios/Intrepid Pictures
Tagline: You see what it wants you to see
Plot: Haunted by the violent demise of their parents a decade earlier, adult siblings Kaylie and Tim 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.
Cast
Karen Gillan (Netflix’s Gunpowder Milkshake) - Kaylie Russell
Brentan Thwaites (HBO Max’s Titans) - Tim Russell
Katee Sackhoff (Netflix’s Another Life) - Marie Russell
Rory Cochrane (White Boy Rick) - Alan Russell
Annalise Basso (TNT’s Snowpiercer) - Young Kaylie
Garrett Ryan (Insidious Chapter 3) - Young Tim
James Lafferty (Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House) - Mike Dumont
Miguel Sandoval (Blood Father) - Dr. Shawn Graham
Kate Siegel (Netflix’s Midnight Mass; Haunting of Hill House) - Marisol Chavez
Writer(s): Mike Flanagan (Netflix’s Midnight Mass; Hill House; Bly Manor; Doctor Sleep)
Jeff Howard (Netflix’s Gerald’s Game; Ouija: Origin of Evil)
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rated R for terror, violence, some disturbing images and brief language (104 min)
The director of ‘Oculus’, Mike Flanagan, has put together some really creepy projects. Some of them include: ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’ ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor,’ ‘Midnight Mass’ and ‘Doctor Sleep’ (sequel to ‘The Shining’). This 2013 thriller does feature some chilling moments, but could have been a little better.
‘Oculus’ does deliver some chilling, suspenseful moments that you won’t see coming. There are some moments that can get really intense, especially when the brother and sister characters are trying to get their memories straight from their childhood trauma.
One thing that makes the movie work is that it keeps the supernatural aspect of the mirror a complete mystery. ‘Oculus’ can also be really slow-building and the ending is really surprising.
‘Oculus’ is available on Hulu and Amazon prime through the Starz add-on. You can also rent it through YouTube, Google Play and VuduFandango for $2.99.
Here are some interesting tidbits for ‘Oculus’:
Had director Mike Flanagan agreed to film the movie in the “found footage” genre (like ‘Paranormal Activity’), a number of studios would’ve backed it as early as 2006. However, he refused.
Karen Gillan was first choice to play Kaylie as Flanagan was a big fan of her work in ‘Doctor Who.’
Filmed in October 2012; premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2013, but wasn’t given a proper release until April 2014.
The film is based on Flanagan’s earlier 2005 short horror film, also called ‘Oculus'.’ The short contained only one setting, a single actor, and a mirror. The short became highly acclaimed, and interest quickly arose regarding the adaptation of the short into a feature.Expanding the premise to a feature-length screenplay proved challenging, as Flanagan felt that he had “pushed the limit” of what could be done with the premise in the short.
The solution Flanagan came across was to combine two storylines, past and present, intercut with one another.
Inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, Flanagan chose not to explain the mirror’s origins, explaining that he liked how Lovecraftian literature often seemed to be an “alien force that if you even were to try to comprehend it completely it would drive you mad.”
‘Oculus’ grossed roughly $5 million on its opening day, nearly equaling its production budget. As of October 3, 2014, the film has taken in an estimated $27.7 million at the domestic box office and another $16.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $44 million.
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