 
A girl named Debbie Galardi (Shelley Henning) mysteriously kills herself while being videotaped playing with a ouija board on her friends led by Laine Morris (Olivia Cooke) tries to find some answers and sees if she communicates with her dead friend using the object thinking that she's in contact with her but made a deadly mistake as she contacted someone whom was evil in the dead world.
An interesting and well focused prologue in the story involving two little girls starting to get interested in the ouija board and well focused moments on their discussions and nice camera shots on the two of them as well as one of them telling the other it's only a game in which draws your attention a great deal knowing that something awful will unveil later on into the plot as this was a nice horror type of impression.
Also there's a nicely focused shot on what's happening today with the child now a teenager known as Debbie just focusing on the ouija board and about to throw it in the fireplace as this leaves an impression that something bad is happening in her life as well as nicely focused shot on this board buring to bits as this leaves a good impression indeed. Plus we have many silent moments when she is eating dinner like a door in the background slowly opening or her stove turning on as these are signs that there are evil ghostly presences surrounding her and a nice touch to the story too. Then we also spot a shocking moment on what happens to her when things are good and still and then BAM! This for sure makes you jump out of your seats big time.
Perfect situation when one of her friends Laine Morris comes home and finds out her family is in tears and tells her to sit down but she refuses and gets demanding in which this looked powerfully done and knowing they heard the devastating news on a death incident in which this was really brought to life a great deal.
Perfect moments between Laine and her younger sister Sarah when she gets controlling with her for her rebellious attitude which looked sharply done here as this scene plays off well on each other.
The timing worked terrific when the group of friends get together and try to summon up Debbie with the ouija board and great close up shots on them using it as well as this object communicating back which gives a great emotional feeling that they are in touch with her and leaving a good imagination for anyone who's lost someone close to them. Their reactions looked believeable when they try to communicate with her and find answers.
Perfect moment when Laine's Nona tells her when she finds a ouija board not to mess with it by calling up dead spirits as the scene really sticks out of your mind a great deal.
Many perfect moments with the friends getting creepy messages with the writing saying hello friend especially a moment with Trevor calling towards and over pass and things are still as well as a shopping cart crashing near him as this can make you jump out of your seat by how this was all shot and done. Also another moment when both Laine and Sarah hear creepy sounds as if someone is coming into their home and they try to hide in their room or in a closet as this for sure gives you the chills imagining running away and hiding from something that goes bump in the night and your worst fears. This was marvellously put into the story.
Great moments when the friends get together once more to talk to the ouija board and try to trick it telling a lie on a memory as this looked spooky as well as revealing who's really communicating with them sinced many people have claimed they talked to the wrong spirit in reality as well as Laine spotting a reflection on the game piece on what's happening as this looked effective to watch with nice special ghostly effects too for any fans who love hauntings while watching a film like this one. It makes your heartbeat fast wondering if they should run out of the house or not while what's going on here.
Nicely focused moment with Laine going to a sanitarium to talk to someone named Paulina Zander about her dead sister as this draws you in nicely to what was said here and looked strongly done along with a creepy historical moment on what happened and what she should do to break the curse that was put on her and her friends as it's a good add on to the horror plot.
Perfect dark moments with Laine undoing the stitches on the corpse with neat shocking effects by what's happening and freaky spiritual moments too. This is a total pleaser as well.
Perfect situation with Laine talking to Nona about how to burn the ouija board and doing their ceremony which looked good and still by all that's happening here and well seriously dramatic too.
Perfect intimidating situation with Laine confronting Paulina at the asylum and this woman revealing a deep dark secret on her dead sister which looked powerfully done and freaky too. Definetely shows great horror timing within all of this for sure. Also makes you wonder if she will attack Laine by what she is doing as right away you hope the people that work there will stop her.
The action starts up a great deal when her and the gang of surviving friends try to put an end to the evil happening as there's plenty of great bangs and jumps happening and intense moments with some of these people being dragged away to prevent these evil spirits from being stopped which looked awesome to watch as well as a perfect driving moment with finding this evil spirits weakness to becoming destroyed.
Bottom line is that horror films are becoming great to watch again as Hollywood is starting to have more creative ideas to scaring the viewers again and maybe the remakes will start to die down once again and more examples on films like this can inspire more filmmakers to make one's like this or best yet let's hope a sequel will arise since it begs you for more. Great special effects too and also makes you wonder if the writer based certain moments on cimmunicating with the dead on real life experiences. This film was as good as how the trailer looked and a must for horror fans without a doubt!
The acting is in top shape as lead actress Olivia Cooke (Laine Morris) delivered a great deal in her role. In fact I found her to be the best out of the whole cast here. She does a nice job getting demanding as well as getting a little intense and aggressive in a certain scene adding a great punch to all of this. She also does well with her sharp attitude as well as her emotional behavior bringing this to life a great deal. Plus was very good while acting the mature one and being chastising towards her onscreen sister which she brought some nice attention towards all of this as well. Shows great struggling energy when the terrors start to happen and was a real champ while doing everything that she did here.
Ana Coto (Sarah Moto) stood out nicely as the rebellious teen type and showing off a total arrogant and cocky type of personality as she brings this to life. Also does a good job acting nervous over some of the moments like using the ouija board or the hauntings. She does well with her energy and showing off to be a worthy character actress as well.
Daren Kagasoff (Trevor) knew his craft a great deal and was great by acting caring as well as showing off his grieving during the memorial which looked realistic. Also does well stressing situations as well as reacting well to creepy moments and coming across strong with his cautious attitude. He also does a great job with his aggressions and intensity when the real suspense piles up. He brings this all to a good hype.
Bianca A. Santos (Isabelle) drew off as someone with alot of spunk and having a good sarcastic type of behavior with whatever is happening. She also reacts well with her nervousness to what is going on. Plus she had the sharp looks to her role which was another plus to her performance. She stood out nicely into her performance here.
Shelley Hennig (Debbie Galardi) stood out perfectly adding a nice bubbly type of outgoing behavior and was good and clear in her speaking. Also does nicely with her focusing type of attitude too when she looks at the ouija board. Plus has the beautiful looks and motives to everything that she did here. Adds a ton of good charisma to her role.
Lin Shaye (Paulina Zander) had a small but really effective role as a mental patient in which she really acts powerful by what she tells someone on the story of her sister just getting into what she has to say in a good and serious force. Plus in another scene she does a perfect job acting crazy and nearly menacing with her words as well as her blocking while walking creepily up towards her onscreen actress. She knew on how to act out of control superbly here.
The music was totally fitting for a film like this as the composer Anton Sanko studied his craft carefully with each scene in the story and giving the music a total dark feel to everything in which makes it sound very scary. Alot of low sounds as well as great airy and hissing gloomy type noises. Alot of good bumps and thumps for the jumping moments which chills you to the bone. Plus there's alot of unique high violin music as well as some piano music too. Yes the horror sounds were terrifically done and hats off to this guy.
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