The horror film Oculus follows Kaylie Russell (Karen Gillian) and her brother Tim (Brenton Thwaites), who survived untold horrors ten years prior when Tim was convicted of murdering their parents. Tim, who has been released from the mental institution, is ready to move forward with his life, but Kaylie wants to exact revenge on what she believes was true culprit, an antique mirror called the Lasser Glass. She believes the mirror has caused similar carnage throughout history to anyone who has stared into it, and will stop at nothing to destroy it.

Overall I really enjoyed the film. For a horror film it was at moments frightening and often downright creepy. The story was engaging and the film was well acted. The special effects were also realistic without being overly done.

The film uses Gillian to explain the history of the Lasser Glass without it feeling like too much exposition, and I enjoyed the way Kaylie plotted out their moves intelligently so that they would not be won over.

The only thing that bothered me slightly was the way in which the story was told. The filmmakers congruently shared with the audience the current story and the flashbacks, not revealing until the end exactly what had happened in the past. While this technique worked for the most part, it was slightly confusing in the beginning, because the flashbacks often show both the children and their adult versions in the same scene, and sometimes it was unclear if they were supposed to be re-experiencing the events or it was just for the benefit of the audience. It is also left unclear whether some events were remembered differently by the children than they actually happened. While some of this added to the mystery of the film, other parts just left me feeling unsure.

Special Features

Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
There are six deleted scenes. They are interesting bits that are worth watching, but for the most part don't really add to the film. The last one, however, "Coda," which was originally to be part of the end credits, would have been a nice bookend/final scene to the film.

Inside the Mirror: Creating Oculus
This feature is over nine minutes. The director and producers talk about making the film as well as about mirrors, including different meanings of mirrors, and also about shooting with the reflective surface. They also talk about the esthetics of the film and how the colors and visuals are more beautiful until the mirror starts taking over. There are notes on the story as well, explaining how the way the evil takes over is different for each individual and plays to their fears.

They also talk a bit about Katee Sackhoff and her jumping right into the role of the mother and how she sustained a lot of bruises.

Original 32-Minute Oculus Short Film with Optional Commentary (Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy)
This feature is the original version that the film was based off of. I can see where Flanagan was going with it and how it later became the version that was in theaters, but the original was not as near as impressive. The short focused only on the characters of Tim (Scott Graham) and of course the mirror. It was obviously extremely low budget, but it wasn't just that, the whole feel was different and to me was more just about someone going crazy. I didn't believe what was going on onscreen like with the final version. Also here it did seem like way too much exposition, though that could be due to the fact that as a short, it took up probably a third of the film. Obviously the storyline was completely expanded upon later; it was just the bare bones. Also the acting wasn't on par with the final film. It was still an interesting endeavor, however.

It was interesting listening to its audio commentary. The short was shot in 2005 in four days in the back of an operating coffee shop with a crew of only seven or eight people. It was actually chapter three of nine stories that they had initially come up with. They also talked about things such as the mythology of the mirror and how they purposely didn't give it an origin.

Sneak Peeks
Included are trailers for 3 Days to Kill, Brick Mansions, and American Horror Story: Coven, which play automatically when the disc is inserted, as well as trailers for Joyride 3, Devil's Due, and a promotional trailer for multiple FX series that are available to own, all of which can be selected from the disc menu.

A theatrical trailer of Oculus is also included, as well as a full-length feature commentary.

Packaging

I was sent the blu-ray version for review. The blu-ray disc comes in the standard blue clamshell case with a clossy cardboard slipcover. The set also includes the code for a digital HD version of the film that works with Ultra Violet to stream and download.

In summary, Oculus is definitely an enjoyable horror film and worth the watch.