In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Wednesday 10 September 2014

OCULUS [2013]

Director Mike Flanagan expands his spooky short film, Oculus, into a highly effective feature length.
It follows a young woman trying to prove that a filthy old mirror is the reason for the tragic deaths in her family many years earlier.
We're blessed with a devilishly paced script that  unfolds with perfection as the horror creeps deeper and deeper into our psyche.  Sure there's quite a few jump scares, but much like Flanagan's Absentia, the uber-creepy atmosphere and beautifully executed build-ups justify them.  It's well fleshed-out characters, remarkable camerawork & direction, eerie lighting and confident cast help make it one of better scary movies of the year.  Even if it does deflate in it's final moments with a disappointing and predicable conclusion, I can easily say the journey is well-worth the time.

3½ flavorful lightbulbs out of 5

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