Ouija Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff

Director: Stiles White

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Ultraviolet, Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: February 3, 2015

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

        I have no problem with bloodless horror movies if they are done right. I think The Conjuring is among the best horror films in the last ten years, blood or not. The problem is that Ouija is not done well, and the bloodlessness enhances the boredom. Suddenly amidst this boredom in viewing Ouija I had a revelation about horror films, understanding that mediocre acting and poorly written dialogue is far more easily accepted amidst the spectacle of gore. Even though much of the acting is above par in Ouija, I found myself irritated by the horrendous screenplay and each of its contrivances; far more than I would have within the typical distractions of this genre.

       

        Although based on the board game, thankfully there are only a few scenes where we are actually forced to watch the characters sit and play. Instead the narrative quickly turns into a typical hostile ghost haunting narrative, with the spirit hunting those who played the game, not unlike a much softer version of the Final Destination set-up. It is a slasher film without the gore and with a ghost as the killer.  

 

        The cast of characters are comprised of a group of teens gathered together to mourn the mysterious death of their friend, Debbie (Shelley Hennig). Regardless of the fact that she mentioned the Ouija board the same night of her disturbing death, Debbie’s best friend, Laine (Olivia Cooke), gathers all of her friends together to try and summon her with the board. This leads to an inevitable connection with a spirit, though it isn’t the one they were trying to contact. The angry ghost begins hunting them down until they are able to burn the…yada, yada, yada. You’ve heard (and seen) it all before.

 

        While not altogether terrible, Ouija is far from memorable. What little spectacle the film contains is hardly enough to warrant needing a high definition presentation provided by the Blu-ray. The package also comes with a DVD and Digital HD copy of the film. The DVD extras only include a single featurette about the adaptation from game to film, while the Blu-ray has two additional special features. Ironically, both still seem focused on the game board that inspired the film.

 

Entertainment Value: 4.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance:  4/10

Special Features: 4.5/10