Why Critics Hate ‘Ouija’; Did Olivia Cooke Just Star In A Bad Horror Film?

 

Why Critics Hate 'Ouija'; Did Olivia Cooke Just Star In A Bad Horror Film?  

Right at its opening scene, horror film "Ouija" starring Olivia Cooke enumerates some of the things Ouija board game players should never do, such as playing it alone, playing it in a graveyard, feeding it after midnight and not saying goodbye after playing.

Apparently, one of the characters in the film named Debbie played by Shelley Hennig did not follow the rules and paid the consequences with death.

Marking Stiles White's directorial debut, "Ouija" features teen characters committing a lot of mistakes that are common in rookie horror films, as Boston Globe put it.

Among these mistakes include the characters entering the haunted house at night, splitting up into the attic and basement and failing to test their flashlights.

Moreover, Stiles apparently used a lot of tried-and-true clichés of horror films in Ouija, such as getting a character dragged by the feet and spooky dolls. What he repeatedly put in the movie was mistaking a regular character in the film as someone scary, National Post commented.

Played by "Bates Motel" actress Cooke, the lead role Laine is Debbie's best friend. The 20-year-old British actress also starred in horror flicks "The Quiet Ones" and "The Signal."

ALSO READ: 'Ouija' Star Olivia Cooke: Bates Motel' Made Me Better Actress, 'I'll Cry At Toilet Paper'

In an attempt to contact Debbie, Laine used the same Ouija board that killed her best friend.

With the help of her sister Sarah Morris played by Ana Coto, her boyfriend Trevor played by Daren Kagasoff, her friend Isabelle played by Bianca Santos, and Debbie's ex Pete played by Douglas Smith, Laine tried to make sure afterlife is treating Debbie well.

So, for horror films buffs out there, "Ouija" is definitely not "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Friday the 13^th" or "Insidious." Neither is it "Paranormal Activity."

But despite the negative reviews, "Ouija" is expected to follow the box-office success of the horror film "Annabelle."

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Collaborating as screenwriters of "Ouija," Stiles and Juliet Snowden also co-wrote with Ryne Douglas Pearson the 2009 film "Knowing" starring Nicolas Cage, Lara Robinson, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, D.G. Maloney, Nadia Townsend, Alan Hopgood and Joshua Long among others.

With Leslie Gornstein, Stiles and Snowden also co-wrote the 2012 Jewish-themed exorcism film "The Possession" directed by Ole Bornedal. Among its cast members are Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Natasha Calis, Madison Davenport, Matiyashu, Grant Show and Nana Gbewonyo.

Tags : ouija Olivia Cooke Bates Motel horror films 2014 The Quiet Ones The Signal Stiles White Juliet Snowden Paranormal Activity insidious Texas Massacre