Ouija: Origin of Evil

The Ouija board has long intrigued people worldwide. Its popularity rose sharply after the heavy casualties of America's Civil War (during which many bodies were never recovered), as grieving families gathered in the parlor to consult the “spirits” for reassurance. But the fear also arose that using the device could lead to demonic possession, which led to certain admonitions: never play alone, never play in a graveyard or a place where a terrible death has occurred, and never bid “goodbye” to the entity with whom you are in contact. Set as a prequel to 2014's Ouija (VL-1/15), this supernatural story revolves around the Zander family in California, circa 1967. Lonely widow Alice (Elizabeth Reaser)—aka “Madame Zander”—runs a fake medium business, creating séances with help from her daughters, Paulina (Annalise Basso) and Doris (Lulu Wilson), who simulate connections with a netherworld. When Paulina discovers the Ouija board at a neighborhood party, Alice buys one to enhance her sessions. In short order, young Doris becomes haunted by a malevolent Polish-speaking entity (Doug Jones) who turns out to be a Nazi doctor. Predictably, Alice realizes that it's time to summon a priest—here, the principal of Doris's parochial school, Father Tom (Henry Thomas). Writer-director Mike Flanagan embraces the ‘60s timeframe while also giving the characters creditable backstories, raising this a notch above most abysmal spooky fare. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Mike Flanagan, a “making-of” featurette (9 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments “Home Is Where the Horror Is” (5 min.) and “The Girl Behind Doris” (4 min.), deleted scenes (17 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a better-than-usual chiller.] (S. Granger)