Why now: Mike Flanagan’s Ouija: Origin of Evil turns 10 this week. The 2016 prequel didn’t just follow a commercial hit: it became that rare horror sequel that critics actually preferred.
The first film was successful at the box office but not with reviewers. So the team behind this one made a bet: let Flanagan turn the franchise into a 1960s period piece about a family, not a generic board-game spook show.
A rare prequel that outdid the original
Although the first Ouija was a commercial success, it was not well-received by critics. Jason Blum wanted a film that was significantly different. Mike Flanagan, who says he has an “allergy to sequels,” signed on because Blum let him make a period piece built around a family dynamic.
Shot as if made in the 1970s
Flanagan screened the 1980 film The Changeling for his director of photography “like ten times.” He also watched The Exorcist and The Watcher in the Woods. From that, the pair hit on the idea to film the movie as if it were made during the 1970s, using only technology that would have been available at the time.
A 1967 seance business goes wrong
The story follows widow Alice Zander, who runs a fake spiritual medium business from her suburban home with her daughters, 15-year-old Lina and 9-year-old Doris. Alice introduces a Ouija board into her readings, unknowingly contacts a spirit named Marcus, and watches as it begins to possess Doris.
Casting and a quick shoot
Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso and Henry Thomas star. The main cast was announced in September 2015, principal photography began the same month and ran to October 21, 2015, and post-production began on October 31, 2015.
Universal opened the vault
Universal Pictures used its 1963–1990 logo, designed by Universal Title and Optical for MCA Inc., to open and promote the film. It’s a small detail, but it fits the period illusion Flanagan was building.
Critics moved the planchette to yes
On Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 126 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. It was one of the highest-rated films produced by either Hasbro Studios or Platinum Dunes.
Box office: a solid hit on a small budget
The film grossed $35.1 million in North America and $46.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $81.7 million, against a budget of $12 million. It opened with $14.1 million, finishing third at the box office.
The praise fans still quote
Katie Rife of The A.V. Club wrote that compared with its predecessor, “It is better, though, in every conceivable way, from casting to story to atmosphere.” Kate Erbland of IndieWire called it “genuinely frightening and smart, the rare horror prequel able to stand on its own merits.”
Which detail from Flanagan’s period-practical approach is your favourite? Tell us in the comments.
Facts from Wikipedia: Ouija: Origin of Evil, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.