Oculus

(Mike Flanagan, 2013, USA)

Less a conventional horror film than a rough approximation of one, using stereotypical elements of the genre (an evil mirror, possessed parents) to tell a more interesting story of childhood trauma and the psychological treatments necessary to overcome horrific memories. Though ostensibly low-rent and cheaply produced, the film is actually quite shrewdly crafted, as director Mike Flanagan – expanding upon his 2005 short film of the same name – uses the relatively low budget (only $5 million) and television aesthetic to mislead viewers, heightening tension and deepening terror via cinematographic tricks and ambiguous editing. The result is an uncommonly perceptive and profoundly affecting work of dread and unease, concerned more with the horrors of domestic abuse and familial strife than an apparently supernatural haunting.