Oculus (DVD): Review

The Film

Oculus looks at two siblings, Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim Russel (Brenton Thwaites, and a night they need to survive. As children, they were witness to their parents dark path to madness and eventual murder.

Tim is locked away in a mental institution, while Kaylie has become a successful businesswoman. It is in the course of her work, that Kaylie tracks down the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror present in their childhood, that she believes is infused with evil and ultimately responsible for her parents harrowing descent and untimely demise. Tim, on the other hand, has spent years in therapy being convinced this is all by a myth.

We catch up with Kaylie and Tim, as Tim is released from the institution and Kalyie has set up an experiment to document the mirrors evil nature. Together the siblings will spend a night in their childhood home, documenting events. Yet, this is not all they experience, as they are treated to a slew of flashbacks, and need to fight to hold on to reality as the mirror shows them their past, and the sinister truth.

Oculus plays on the mind of the viewer in a way similar to how the Lasser Glass mirror plays on the minds of the siblings. One is never too sure if what you are seeing is indeed the truth of the film, or another herring and hallucination, put forth by the writers.

the film does not go for the cheap “jump scares” of other horrors, nor does it dwell on the blood and gore. The tension and fear here are generated by pure psychological means, and Oculus will not disappoint on this front.

Gillan and Thwaites deliver good performances as the siblings, coupled with some good story telling. However, in some areas, it feels as if the filmmakers could have pushed things just a little more, perhaps losing out on a bit of the potential of the story. However, with fear being subjective, many viewers are likely to be most pleased at this fact.

A thrilling, chilling ride. Oculus will please a diverse group of horror fans.

Disc And Bonus Features

The disc is encoded at a high bitrate, with no visible artefacts on screen. It can also be scaled up to larger or high definition screens, given the right hardware or software. Sound is presented with a 5.1 soundtrack, expanding the on screen environment for the viewer, and adding a little extra to those creepy scenes.

There are unfortunately no bonus features on the disc.

Oculus is available, to purchase, in South Africa, from 13 March 2015

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb

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