Having seen and appreciated Mike Flanagan's "Ouija: Origin of Evil", I decided to watch this with reasonably high expectations. The plot is basically about an alledgledly "cursed" mirror, which is mainly explained to us through the eyes of Kaylie, brilliantly played by Karen Gillan. He brother is released from a mental hospital from some dark event that happened when they were kids. The film takes its time and is very well paced and this works in its favor. This is a solid horror film that plays with time, reality and illusions, and it succeeds at every level, not letting go until the very end - which is weirdly satisfying.

Stupid of course it would kill her by her own devise why not use fire if you were going to die can't escape that .new what was going to happen when she first took the mirror in the room so predictable good acting stupid writer - director rubbish end hate films like that worst horror I've ever seen could been grate unfinished but don't make a number 2 please reviewed straight away because it pissed me off how crap it was

As children Tim (Brenton Thwaites) and Kaylie's (Karen Gillan) parents were murdered. Tim was the trigger man who killed his dad, although the kids have a memory of a haunted mirror that controlled their family.Tim has had therapy and wants to move on and "protect his recovery" as he can now finally remember he pulled the trigger. Kaylie is compulsive obsessive and insists the mirror is to blame. She goes to great lengths to set up a controlled experiment to prove the mirror is the culprit. Tim is not eager. They have slightly different memories as to what happened.Their past is presented as a subplot. An hour into the film, you realize that there were things that went on in the household that might be misinterpret by children, yet at the same time there are things going on in the present that don't add up. Is it imagination? Insanity? Supplanted memory? Or is the mirror really haunted?The film combines several old themes to give us something that seems refreshingly new. Well done all the way around. Good horror build up.Parental Guide: Some muttered F-bombs. No sex or nudity.

Director: Mike FlanaganThis movie originally made itself known to me with quite a few strong reviews online and a bit of a buzz surrounding its relatively new to the genre director, Mike Flanagan. With such an unknown new title causing such a stir, I was very eager to see for myself if Oculus would deliver.BASIC PLOT: A sister is reunited with her brother after many years apart due to a dark family past. Obsessed with the notion that an old antique mirror hiding supernatural forces is to blame for the family's bloodstained history, she sets about trying to prove the mirror is indeed cursed and finally destroy it. But she will need some help...REVIEW: Straight off the bat, I found this movie an absolute joy to watch. The cinematography and camerawork are excellent, submerging most of the scenes in a dark, sepia-green, almost Fincher-esque finish that churns the viewers stomach throughout. Right from the get go, you can feel something is not quite right through the visuals and shadowy lighting. This feeling is intensified as the story progresses, expertly preying upon the viewers sense of unease as things unfold.The story is a classic. Not too many horror titles come to mind when I think of old mirrors, which is surprising as there can be something uniquely unnerving and almost other worldly about a reflection, especially in this mirror. The character development between the family is brilliantly played out, with a narrative taking place both in the past when the sister & brother were just kids and in modern day after so such has happened. This way the audience catches a glimpse into the creepy occurrences that transpired all those years ago in the family home while also following the siblings in present day and the choices they are now faced with.The acting is really first rate all round, Karen Gillan & Brenton Thwaites do a stirling job as the siblings (even if the latter does seem a tad on the bland emotionless side at times, but I think that is also half down to the character himself after he has been through so much to the point where he is now numb). Katie Sackoff delivers a phenomenal performance as the mother, her slow descent as she deals with her situation is palpable and adds weight and reality to the tale. Rory Cochrane also deserves top credit for his role as the Dad of the family, sucking the audience in for the ride as his family, his life and even his mind start to unravel around him.I also feel I need to strongly compliment director Mike Flanagan for delivering a fresh new and exciting approach to the horror genre. He has managed to perfectly balance a strong gripping story with constant scares and thrills to cater for all. The movie feels like a big step forward, nodding to the moody atmospheric horror titles of old while also acknowledging it's place in the twenty first century. The storyline even goes as far as including numerous modern high tech technologies and gadgets and yet it never once crosses the line into cheesy or unrealistic. I am looking forward to more gems from this flourishing new director.VERDICT: A fantastic find. A well thought out and portrayed horror tale containing enough tense armchair gripping moments and downright nasty scares to make you pause before you next glance in the mirror! (9/10)