It's not often that a bad horror movie gets an incredible sequel, but that is precisely what happened with Ouija (2014) and its follow-up Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016). But to be fair, not many horror sequels have the advantage of Mike Flanagan taking over as director.
Yes, Origin of Evil is a Flanagan-directed horror film and it also happens to be PG-13, one of Flanagan's only PG-13 projects. And, at least for now, the supernatural horror flick is available to stream on Netflix! Since it isn't a Netflix Original, it's hard to say how long it will remain on the service, meaning you should jump on it quickly if you plan to watch it.
A prequel to Ouija, Origin of Evil follows a widow named Alice (Elizabeth Reaser) and her two daughters, Lina (Annabelle Basso) and Doris (Lulu Wilson). Alice works out of her home as a psychic, often with her daughter's assistance to make her "readings" look more authentic.
Messing with Ouija boards and paranormal forces, even as a business practice, is rife with danger. Alice learns firsthand when their scam results in an evil spirit possessing young Doris.
Origin of Evil doesn't reinvent the genre or do anything particularly subversive, but it achieves a tense, well-acted, and genuinely scary PG-13 possession horror movie.
In other words, Flanagan takes what could have been a generic follow-up to a lackluster film and creates something far better than anyone could have anticipated. It proves that a talented director and cast can improve even the most basic of scripts.
Flanagan is particularly adept at adding family drama to the core story and filling it with fully rendered characters who are easy to relate to. His works have always had strong characters and emotional drama that heightens the horror, making Origin of Evil soar.
No one would expect a prequel to a movie like Ouija to be so dang good, but Origin of Evil was a welcome breath of fresh air.
It's also more proof that Flanagan has nurtured a strong environment for his actors, as his main stars here have worked with him on other projects. Reaser and Wilson in The Haunting of Hill House and Basso in Oculus (and the upcoming Life of Chuck). Wilson also played young Madeline in The Fall of the House of Usher.
Ouija: Origin of Evil is now streaming on Netflix.