Oculus

I have stated time and time again that I am not one for horror films. Most of the time it's because what Hollywood's cranking out doesn't look that appealing. (The rest of the time is because I'm a wuss.) There are simply too many horror sequels and remakes. Where are the original ideas?

Thankfully, we do get an original horror film every so often. And recently, that's in the form of Mike Flanagan's Oculus. I feel like I shouldn't say much about the film otherwise it would ruin the experience, but I'll try my best.

This is mostly my belief but I think for a horror film to work properly, it should rely more on suspense than on blood. And thankfully Flanagan follows this belief as well. God, the amount of suspense that builds throughout the film could easily stun an elephant. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but still.)

The stars of Oculus are Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites, both of whom clearly know how to act scared effectively. (Then again, Gillan pretty much knew how to from her Doctor Who days.) They display the film's paranoid ambiance from the get go. I expect a promising future from both of them.

Oculus has the right amount of paranoia and suspense, perhaps a little too much in some scenes. Still, Flanagan, Gillan and Thwaites manage to make a very effective horror film, a rarity by today's standards.

My Rating: ****1/2