The Internet Has Rediscovered This Mike Flanagan Classic: “It’s FANTASTIC”
I still remember the first time I saw Mike Flanagan’s Oculus. He wasn’t a known property at that point in 2013, and while I’d seen Absentia beforehand (thanks, Netflix DVD), I didn’t even make the directorial connection until afterward. Oculus was a critical and commercial smash, and more importantly, a calling card for one of the most remarkable voices working in horror today. Several of Flanagan’s trademark elements make their debut here, and the Oculus mirror has even been featured as an Easter Egg in other Mike Flanagan projects including Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game, and Doctor Sleep. It’s one of my favorite horror movies of the century, so I’m more thrilled than ever to see the internet rediscovering its optical chills. Better still, you can stream it for free online now via Plex.
Per Plex: Haunted by the violent deaths of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie and Tim are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror is behind the tragedy and contains a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it.
In a 2014 interview with Mike Flanagan, the filmmaker remarked how titles like The Shining, The Changeling, Lake Mungo, A Tale of Two Sisters, and Session 9 inspired Oculus’ intense feelings. Flanagan shared how instilling dread was more important than startling the audience. If you’ve seen Oculus, you’ll know it delivers both.
Over on Reddit, fans recently revisited Oculus. Despite being over ten years old, several fans shared how it remains one of their favorite horror movies of all time.
Other fans shared how Oculus derives its scares from simply being outmatched by its central antagonist. Where some horror devolves into horror logic, forcing its characters to behave recklessly to drive the plot forward, Oculus regularly has its key players respond reasonably to the terrors at hand.
Others echo my own experience. I saw it when I was much younger and recall feeling more scared than I had in a while. Yeah, I’ve got to revisit it, too.
What do you think? Are you a fan of Mike Flanagan’s Oculus? Where would you rank it among his works? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins. I might not be there, though. I might be watching Oculus.
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