Mike Flanagan’s Ouija: Origin of Evil Is the Rare Prequel That’s 2x Scarier Than the Original

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It’s easy to see why Mike Flanagan has become a major force in horror. Before he became known for his Stephen King adaptations or his scary Netflix series, he proved his talent by revitalizing a struggling film franchise. In 2016, he created a prequel called Ouija: Origin of Evil, a follow-up to a poorly received horror movie from 2014. While the film featured Olivia Cooke, who later starred in House of the Dragon, the movie itself wasn’t a critical success. The story centers around a group of children who accidentally unleash a dangerous evil after using a spirit board, leading to disastrous consequences.

Flanagan’s film Ouija: Origin of Evil explored themes he’d revisit in his later work, like The Haunting of Hill House, which also starred Elizabeth Reaser and Lulu Wilson. Many viewers found Ouija: Origin of Evil to be just as emotionally intense as Hill House, and even more frightening than the first Ouija movie.

Ouija: Origin of Evil Had a More Compelling Story

The original Ouija movie received negative reviews upon its release. The film centers around a group of teenagers who play with a spirit board and accidentally summon a dangerous entity named Doris. Mike Flanagan’s series expands on this premise, exploring the origins of the spirit board and the haunted family connected to it. Staying true to his style, Flanagan crafted a complex narrative, going beyond a simple story of a medium and her daughter, and delving much deeper into the haunting’s history.

The film Ouija: Origin of Evil opens with the Zander family already struggling with loss. Following her husband’s accidental death in 1960s California, Alice Zander began holding séances to support her family. Though not a real medium, Alice used illusions and the help of her daughters to convince clients they were communicating with spirits. She believed this performance not only provided income but also helped them process their grief. However, things changed when Alice introduced a Ouija board into their act, leading to unsettling and unexpected events.

I have to say, this film starts with a clever premise: a performer, Alice, trying to add a spooky twist to her show with a rigged spirit board. But things take a genuinely unsettling turn when her daughter starts using it to try and connect with her late father. It quickly becomes clear the real talent isn’t Alice, but her daughter, Doris. She has this incredibly natural, almost eerie gift for communicating through the board, and she’s been practicing in secret. It’s a fascinating setup, hinting at a hidden lineage of genuine mediumship, and it’s Doris, not her mom, who holds the key.

Longing to connect with her father, Alice became vulnerable to the evil spirits inhabiting her house. These spirits pretended to be him, manipulating her into embracing darkness. Soon, Alice was completely overtaken by them, and she began trying to corrupt everyone else in the house, creating a truly terrifying situation. She eventually realized, despite the spirits’ knowledge of her family, that she wasn’t actually speaking to her deceased husband. This heartbreaking discovery led her to understand that her daughter, Doris, was gone – replaced by one of the many tormented souls possessing her. Among these was Marcus, a Holocaust survivor who had escaped to America, only to find himself haunted by the Nazi doctor who had tormented him during the war.

Marcus was just one of several people tortured and hidden within the walls of the Zander house. The suffering endured in darkness caused a growing disturbance, eventually overwhelming Doris. She then influenced others to commit terrible acts. Despite their efforts, the Zanders couldn’t overcome the evil that had taken root in their home. Doris was ultimately defeated, but the only way to prevent her from continuing to corrupt others was to silence her permanently. This narrative closely resembles the plot of the original Ouija story, but offers a more emotionally resonant and frightening experience.

Ouija’s Core Theme is Trauma

The biggest difference between Ouija and its prequel, Origin of Evil, is the atmosphere Mike Flanagan created. While Ouija relied on typical jump scares, Origin of Evil truly disturbed viewers by tapping into fears that felt real and personal. The Zander family’s desperate desire to connect with their deceased loved one, Roger, ultimately led to their downfall. Alice yearned for proof of life after death, fueled by hope, and Doris struggled to accept the finality of death, seeking closure. The Ouija board, presented as a way to reach Roger, initially seemed like a blessing.

Alice and Doris were deeply grieving and desperately wanted to believe any small sign that they were communicating with Roger, even if it didn’t quite make sense. Only Alice’s eldest daughter, Lina, questioned this, much like a skeptic would. Lina was a teenager with her own life and wanted to heal from her father’s death. Having grown up with a fraudulent psychic also made her distrustful of supposed evidence of ghosts.

She turned to Father Tom for help, hoping his open-mindedness and neutrality would be useful in dealing with the strange occurrences. Sadly, despite his best efforts, he also fell victim to the house’s influence. The Zanders, overwhelmed by their sorrow, had unknowingly invited something dangerous into their home – something they couldn’t understand or control.

The film Ouija: Origin of Evil perfectly captures the experience of grief. It shows that grief doesn’t simply fade over time; it can be a destructive and relentless force, even when people mean well. Director Mike Flanagan would later explore similar ideas in his other works, including the acclaimed series Midnight Mass. In many ways, Ouija: Origin of Evil foreshadowed these shows, presenting these complex themes within a traditional ghost story.

Ouija: Origin of Evil Could Never Have a Happy Ending

Because of the way Ouija: Origin of Evil was made, the Zander family was never going to escape unharmed. Fans who saw the first Ouija movie already knew the shocking twist. The characters understood that Doris was a dangerous spirit, and the only way to contain her evil was to sew her mouth shut. The movie revealed that Doris was the source of the evil, and her mother was desperately trying to control it.

Anyone familiar with the first version knew how the story would conclude. However, Mike Flanagan added several unexpected twists and turns. Although it was clear Doris couldn’t be saved, the story offered a sense of peace that remained unbroken. Interestingly, the idea of sewing Doris’s mouth shut originated with her father, and his spirit played a role in the film.

Lina was so convinced the spirits weren’t Roger that she didn’t consider he might still be trying to reach her. He’d left his mark on a cherished doll he’d given her, altering it to look like a sewn-shut mouth. At the time, Doris believed it was their father’s ghost, claiming he damaged the doll to silence the voices.

At first, her sister didn’t believe her, as it seemed obvious Doris was becoming possessed by a demon. The unexpected appearance of Roger’s spirit offered the family a glimmer of hope. While Doris and Alice were able to see Roger, Lina remained stuck between worlds. The film itself was deeply disturbing, ensuring no one would sleep easily after watching it. Though Lina survived the terrifying events at her house, she was profoundly changed. Confined to an asylum, her doctors questioned the whereabouts of her sister’s body, as Lina was clearly disconnected from reality and still haunted by the demonic influence.

In a haunting echo of the first film, Lina went to extreme lengths – even using her own blood to create a spirit board – in a desperate attempt to connect with Doris. This completed the story’s circle, revealing that decades later, Lina is allied with the same evil force that possessed Doris. While the ending felt inevitable given the story’s themes, it perfectly suits director Mike Flanagan’s style. He consistently delivers finales filled with a deep sense of loss, even amidst moments of heroism. Flanagan excels at crafting truly frightening experiences, understanding that the most terrifying scares often stem from real-life horrors, and he skillfully uses that to his advantage.

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2025-11-03 17:11