Mike Flanagan’s Most Criminally Underrated Film is Back on Prime Video: “Don’t watch if you scare easily”
Mike Flanagan is sure to be to Gen Z what John Carpenter is to Gen X and Millennials. He may not be the most well-known filmmaker of his era just yet, but like Carpenter, Flanagan has cranked out one banger after another, serving up the kind of content guaranteed to scare the daylights out of impressionable viewers. In fact, I would hazard a guess that many of his younger fans discovered his output at a slumber party, much like a lot of us did with Carpenter years prior.
Rather than happening upon his work at the local video store, the youth of today are more likely to discover Flanagan’s output through streaming platforms. However, I have to imagine that coming across his content on streaming still yields a similar thrill to the rush we got from checking out a Carpenter picture on VHS back in the day.
Speaking of discovering Flanagan’s output on streaming, we have some exciting news to share. A title that some fans consider Flanagan’s most underrated is back on Prime Video. I’m talking about none other than the supernatural chiller Oculus.
Here’s the setup for this 2014 horror thriller:
Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror’s evil spell.
Though it isn’t as widely known as some of Flanagan’s other films, Oculus surely still has its fans. In fact, a quick search of social media reveals that plenty of horror lovers dig this jarring effort.
You can see exactly what I mean from the responses below:
As the reactions above reflect, fans who made the time for it really took to this one. As it turns out, so did quite a few critics. Both movie lovers and film scholars connected with the strong performances, capable direction from Flanagan, and the unflinching level of tension present throughout the vast majority of this distressing picture.
Aside from directing, Flanagan also co-wrote the screenplay for Oculus with frequent collaborator Jeff Howard. The dynamic duo adapted the script from a 32-minute short that Flanagan wrote with Jeff Seidman several years prior.
If you’re in the mood to get spooked tonight, head over to Prime Video and give the film a watch. For maximum impact, make sure to start it late at night with all the lights turned off.
Categorized: News
