Ouija: Origin of Evil Parent Guide

Most horror movies work to convince us the dead never really gone. Likewise, horror movie concepts tend to live on forever. Enter the sequel for Ouija, yet another stab at creating a plot based on a supposedly supernatural board game—one that requires spirits who have passed on to not only speak English, but also be able to spell reasonably well.

This time the haunting happenings take place in 1965 Los Angeles where a widowed mother (Elizabeth Reaser) and her two daughters (Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson) work together in their old house to help hapless clients contact the dead. With kids Paulina and Alice hidden away so they may cause the table to shake and the candles to extinguish, Alice Zander makes a meager living. Yet with the bank knocking at her door the worried bread-winner looks for something to spice up her act. Spotting a Ouija board in a local store, she brings it home and mods it with magnets to create a convincing effect.

It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. And we know that’s bound to happen when young Alice wanders out of her bedroom late one night and takes a turn driving the planchette over the board. Moments later she’s chatting with her deceased father. This amazing activity works to convince her skeptical mother and sister that there is more to this séance business than bogus dramatics. Yet as time passes, Alice’s new connection with Dad seems to be doing little to give the girl the joy one would expect.

Artistically Ouija: Origin of Evil is a notch better than its predecessor and the bothersome suicidal themes involving teenagers are gone too. Like in the original film, parents will appreciate the lack of sexual content (limited to an adolescent boy and girl sharing a kiss in her bedroom) and infrequent profanities. However, few horror movies can drum up a good scare without resorting to violent themes. This one portrays someone hanging from a noose, mouths stitched shut, a stabbing, and satanic looking characters that overcome the living. In addition, the script features a Holocaust theme that may be offensive to viewers who don’t appreciate demonic depictions or a tragic historic event being exploited as terrifying amusement.

Similar to our first take with this franchise, there are two ways parents can approach this depiction. If you are of the attitude that Ouija boards are akin to a game of Clue or Monopoly, then this movie will be a typical Halloween distraction, replete with “made you jump” moments and ghoulish imagery. On the other hand, if this occult pastime rankles your religious sensitivities, you may want to tell your kids it’s Game Over before this movie spells out its evil dealings.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.