Oculus

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Under the Radar

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Every now and then, I want to dip my toes into the realm of the supernatural. Whether things like ghosts are real or not doesn't take away from the ideas they fill your imagination with. I'll be the first to admit that nowadays, I think the ghost thing is a bit played out, but we do keep coming back for more, don't we? Myself included. It's almost like it has become a "comfort zone" of horror in the same way 'The Simpsons' is a "comfort zone" for the general TV-viewing public.

Ghost movies are tricky for me to maneuver on a critical level. I do like a good ghost story, and a good scare every now and then. However, the film has to do something more or less original for me to appreciate it. The only thing I might compare this to as far as its execution goes is probably 'The Haunting of Hill House'. It's an unfolding mystery story as well as a ghost story, taking place during two different times - past and present. In this case, the past is eleven years prior, and the plot unfolds using flashbacks (along with some pretty well-done transition scenes, I might add).

We are introduced to two siblings; Kaylie (Karen Gillan), who is seemingly obsessed with an antique mirror found at an auction, and Tim (Brenton Thwaites), just recently released from a psychiatric hospital. After picking him up from the hospital, Kaylie mentions to Tim that she found a mirror they once owned called the "Lasser Glass". According to Kaylie, this antique mirror was supposedly responsible for the death of their parents, Alan (Rory Cochrane) and Marie (Katee Sackhoff). However, having just been released from the psych hospital, Tim has other more real-world ideas. Apparently, however, the mirror has a long, drawn-out history of tragedy befalling its owners, including them. Can the siblings work together to uncover the truth behind their parents demise? Or will the mirror beat them at their own game?

By the end, I'd have to say that I was mildly entertained, but a touch disappointed. It sounds weird, but I was kind of hoping this was going to be something that would get under my skin, as I do have a mild phobia of mirrors in a dark room. I can tolerate it, but I don't like it at all. The whole time it's like a stranger's hand resting on your shoulder - The longer it lingers the more uncomfortable you feel. But honestly, so much of the imagery here doesn't even seem to involve the mirror. Maybe the mirror is causing it, and there's the odd reflection of something creepy, but most of this is fake-out horror; one terrifying and/or gross thing will end up being something very mild and normal in real life. That's fine for some, but I kind of wanted it to leave me anxious about looking in the mirror... and not because I'm chubby.

​All that said, it seems I'm the odd one out on this title. For me, it's just another spook house movie with a decent touch of mystery surrounding the characters' past. It's totally passable, but I'm not looking to press play on it again anytime soon - not due to fear, but to it feeling a touch bland. Rotten Tomatoes averages it around 64%, so it's considered pretty decent at least. This is one you simply have to watch and judge for yourself though. I do like a decent ghost story, and this was a decent ghost story, but that's exactly it. I sat at the campfire I call my computer screen, it told the story, it was fun, and I went about my business afterwards.

3/5

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