And the trend continues! Hollywood brings your favorite board games to the big screen! Who needs Battleship 2 when you can watch the movie about a creepy game with a funny name!
After the strange death of a beloved teen, four friends try to find answers by playing the game with the funny name: Ouija! These friends are led by an overly curious teen named Laine (Olivia Cooke) who wants closure over her friend's death. Even when Laine's friends warn her to not mess with the evil spirits who may have taken their best friend, she continues to play with fire. And the sad part is: Laine is way too smart to act this dumb but is written to act this dumb so the plot can move on and not worry about having a smart story. And that's just dumb.
I can go on and on about why this film is not worth your time, but I'll describe the audience's reaction during the screening I went to: they laughed at the parts that were supposed to be scary, muttered sarcastic remarks as the characters did the dumb stuff I explained earlier, or talked back to the screen to keep themselves entertained (since the film was failing to). The film's formula wasn't the problem. The problem is that the movie didn't do anything with its formula to keep you in suspense. It may make you make jump or scream during a couple of moments, but ultimately, this movie was more about going through the motions.
The only saving grace is that it's short and the acting is fine. Olivia Cooke is a good young actress. If you want to see her in something that's worth watching, check out the TV show Bates Motel on A&E. And even though this movie was made just in time for Halloween, don't expect any tricks or treats. Watching Ouija is the perfect thing to do with your friends when you guys get tired of playing board games with funny names.
