Ouija (2014) - The definition of mediocre horror

If ever there was a DVD box destined to end up in one of those 'bargain bucket' bins in petrol stations, it was 2014's 'Ouija.' It is possibly the most average modern horror film ever made.  The tragic thing is that it's not bad.  It's not even worthy of being classed as a bad film, simply one that borrows everything from a dozen far superior films and won't even stay with you by the time the credits are rolling.

The first cliche it starts out with is a teenage girl dying through supernatural circumstances (a ouija board, believe it or not) and the rest of the film is dedicated to her group of friends investigating (and falling foul) of the same evil presence.

She has five friends.  Let's just call them 'Teenagers 1-5.' Seriously, you won't remember any of their names.  You'll just call them 'the main girl, the snarky girl' and the 'girl with the fringe' (yes, one of the main characters defining traits is that she has a different haircut).  Plus the two guys look almost identical - which I suppose is slightly ironic as they're characters are pretty much interchangable.

Obviously, 'Ouija' is supposed to be scary, but every 'scare' comes from a 'jump scare' where something pops out, coupled with a creaky noise.  One scene even involves a shopping trolley.  Yeah, it's that inventive.

There is a supernatural entity involved, but you'll have seen more creepy creatures in movies, plus antagonists that kill their victims in more creative and disgusting ways.

In short, you'll have seen everything here before.  Apparently, according to the film trivia online, there were major reshoots after the film's initial 'finishing.' It shows.  There are added sub-plots which feel tacked on.  I guess if it has a plus point it's that it's short.  Although, despite being only an hour and a half, it does feel a lot longer.

4/10 You can watch this film while you're doing the ironing (you'll still get the general gist of it)