Oculus

R

Released Apr 11, 2014

1h 45m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

List

75%

157 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror's evil spell.

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Critics Consensus

With an emphasis on dread over gore and an ending that leaves the door wide open for sequels, Oculus could be just the first spine-tingling chapter in a new franchise for discerning horror fans.

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Audience Member

Relativity Media and WWE STUDIOS presents one of Mike Flanagan's earliest works into the horror genre The term oculus refers to the Latin meaning of eye or in other ways means the oval or circular window With this the horror of it all refers to a trick of the eye making us see things that maybe aren't really there Newcomers Karen Gillian and Brenton Thwaites play brother and sister Tim and Kaylie They are grown up and decide to reconnect following their childhood trauma 11 years ago from which they can barely remember Kaylie has purchased a giant mirror believing it to be responsible for the deaths of 45 people by supernatural means Tim is reluctant but Kaylie wants to experiment to prove that this item is cursed and it might connect to what happened to their mother played by Katee Sackoff being supposedly murdered by their father Flanagan succeeds with his usual signatures of establishing mood, atmosphere, dark lighting, and shadows The film does a wonderful job fooling the audience making us believe one thing is happening while another actually is Sackoff is perfect as the mother going from loving to tortured to straight up turning monstrous due to this mirror's influence There's plenty of cool psychological scares and I really like Karen Gillian too The parents you feel bad for because they're on the tipping point and the brother and sister are at odds trying to rationalize what's actually going on It even acts as a haunting portrayal of child abuse and dissolutionment Both of these characters reflect themselves whether young or old, by the end of the film you start to ask yourself who's the more sane one now? The ending is a bit of a downer and truth be told there's a few things they don't quite explain Plus some of the cutting back between the past and present can be somewhat distracting Perhaps the most baffling thing about this since its release is that no sequels ever followed It had the potential to be a franchise yet it never got off the ground Still this second effort by Flanagan after 10 years creates enough of a disturbing ambiance to make it unsettling for low budget horror even if it's not a traditional scare fest and the ending is predictable

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

Full Review

Audience Member

A breath of fresh air for the people who are sick of the recycled horror plots that plague the contemporary horror genre. It’s a great film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

Full Review

Mike P

Two siblings battle an evil mirror...Not bad, for a sci-fi thriller/slasher like this...Michael Flanagan is a very capable horror director; as he demonstrates here, and with Doctor Sleep; and the Haunting of Hill House series...There's several effective moments here...Mostly involving ghostly deepfakes and hallucinations; and this evil mirror which drives people mad...Including the ending which is very haunting... The message here is all about perception being reality; you breath things into existence through your PERSPECTIVE; through what you BELIEVE you're seeing... It's also touching on the kind of family curse/ sins of the father aspects of mental illness being passed down from generation to generation; much like Hereditary does... Occasionally it's darkness is oppressive and unpleasant; but; that's thrillers for you...So...overall...Good acting; interesting set up and potent images from Flanagan... Verdict: Moderate recommendation; an effective thriller 👍

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

Full Review

Adam R

I've recently re-watched this one. Over 10 years after it came out, it's still a gripping horror story and I don't think it will ever age badly since it's not relying much on special effects. An interesting new take on a haunted house theme with a fresh concept and a well-delivered parallel storyline. Good acting too. I liked and cheered for the protagonists, so it kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me some scares for their survival. It's not some kind of cinematographic masterpiece but a well-made, fun horror flick which stands the test of time and toes the line with other good movies of this genre.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/12/24

Full Review

Jacopo s

Boh poco da dire come la trama del film

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

Full Review

Alec B

Yeah, there is some really conventional material that's disappointing but when the film is overlapping the character's past and present with nightmarish visions, it's quite thrilling.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

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Mike Flanagan

Director

Karen Gillan

Kaylie Russell

Brenton Thwaites

Tim Russell

Katee Sackhoff

Marie Russell

Rory Cochrane

Alan Russell

Annalise Basso

Young Kaylie

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Oculus is about one adjustment away from being a superior thriller.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 5, 2015

Full Review

James Rocchi

Film.com

Praised on the festival circuit, it's got what it takes to succeed outside of that rarefied atmosphere.

Rated: 8.2/10

Jan 5, 2015

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

Horror fans may find the reflection a little familiar.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 5, 2015

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

While it may have taken unconventional approaches to the visual language of haunted house movies, the narrative is messy and never offers up anything more than surface-level intrigue.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 20, 2023

Full Review

Jenn Adams

Rue Morgue Magazine

We’re left with the terrifying fear that if Tim and Kaylie can lose themselves in the mirror’s reflection, so can we.

Rated: A

Feb 18, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Flanagan's treatment elevates the material, both in his use of mind games and emotional complexity.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror's evil spell.

Director: Mike Flanagan
Producer: Peter Schlessel, Anil Kurian, D. Scott Lumpkin, Dale Armin Johnson, Glenn Murray, Julie B. May, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley, Jason Blum, Michael J. Luisi
Screenwriter: Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard
Distributor: Relativity Media
Production Co: Intrepid Pictures
Rating: R (Some Disturbing Images|Brief Language|Terror|Violence)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 11, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.7M
Runtime: 1h 45m

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