Oculus

La famiglia Russell è stata colpita da una terribile tragedia che ha segnato per sempre la vita dei fratelli Tim e Kaylie. Dieci anni dopo, Tim, che era stato accusato del brutale assassinio di entrambi i genitori, lascia il carcere con l’unico desiderio di lasciarsi tutto alle spalle e ricominciare. La sorella Kaylie invece, ancora ossessionata da quella fatidica notte, è fortemente convinta che la morte dei suoi genitori sia stata causata da qualcos’altro. Secondo la ragazza, una forza maligna risiederebbe in un antico specchio che si trovava nella casa di famiglia. Kaylie, determinata a provare l’innocenza del fratello, rintraccia lo specchio e scopre che nel corso dei secoli i diversi proprietari dell’oggetto sono stati tutti vittime di morti violente simili a quella dei suoi genitori. Ora che lo specchio è di nuovo nelle loro mani, Tim e Kaylie sono decisi a scoprire la verità, ma si renderanno conto troppo tardi che l’incubo della loro infanzia è tornato.
My quick rating - 6.4/10. Well-made and acted out film that includes your scares, some misdirection, and nice flashback material into the plot fairly seamlessly. It's nice to sit back and watch a movie that intends to scare and make you think without trying to give a gorefest. As you all know, I love me some brutal violence, but it isn't always necessary. This movie's focus is on a mirror that basically encompasses and possesses those who gaze into it. When a family is entranced by the mirror, and the parents are killed (I'll leave it at that to not spoil too much,) the kids who witness the deaths are now the focal point of discovering what really happened. The daughter, who is now 23, purchases the mirror to finally find out the truth, back in the house they grew up in. Karen Gillan does an admirable job acting as a completely obsessed young adult(at times, she was just as creepy as the supernatural parts). Kaylie (Gillan) picks up her younger brother(played by Brenton Thwaites), who was recently released from a mental institution (you will see why) to unravel the mystery. Through various tests and evidence collections, the two embark on proving the mirror holds the evil/spirit that caused the deaths of their parents, among countless others, before. The movie uses flashbacks to when they were children to explain how they survived the first encounter. The seamless transitions of these do well to further the story and keep you captivated with the plot. The slight amounts of blood are used in a way that makes you cringe more than be grossed out. I have to give the editors props for keeping these transitions coherent (slightly unbelievable at times, but it is a movie) and help keep things moving until the end. All and all, a very welcome addition to the genre. Worth the watch.
My quick rating - 6.4/10. Well-made and acted out film that includes your scares, some misdirection, and nice flashback material into the plot fairly seamlessly. It's nice to sit back and watch a movie that intends to scare and make you think without trying to give a gorefest. As you all know, I love me some brutal violence, but it isn't always necessary. This movie's focus is on a mirror that basically encompasses and possesses those who gaze into it. When a family is entranced by the mirror, and the parents are killed (I'll leave it at that to not spoil too much,) the kids who witness the deaths are now the focal point of discovering what really happened. The daughter, who is now 23, purchases the mirror to finally find out the truth, back in the house they grew up in. Karen Gillan does an admirable job acting as a completely obsessed young adult(at times, she was just as creepy as the supernatural parts). Kaylie (Gillan) picks up her younger brother(played by Brenton Thwaites), who was recently released from a mental institution (you will see why) to unravel the mystery. Through various tests and evidence collections, the two embark on proving the mirror holds the evil/spirit that caused the deaths of their parents, among countless others, before. The movie uses flashbacks to when they were children to explain how they survived the first encounter. The seamless transitions of these do well to further the story and keep you captivated with the plot. The slight amounts of blood are used in a way that makes you cringe more than be grossed out. I have to give the editors props for keeping these transitions coherent (slightly unbelievable at times, but it is a movie) and help keep things moving until the end. All and all, a very welcome addition to the genre. Worth the watch.
