Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Completely idiotic horror flick based on Hasbro game.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Ouija
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 31 kid reviews
Kids say this film is a mixed bag, with some finding it mildly scary and suspenseful while others consider it boring and poorly executed. Highlights include jump-scares and disturbing themes, but many agree it lacks originality and significant scares, making it more suitable for younger audiences rather than seasoned horror fans.
- mixed reviews
- jump-scares
- disturbing themes
- lacks originality
- mild horror
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In OUIJA, teen Debbie (Shelley Hennig) has been acting odd lately; she won't even let her best friend, Laine (Olivia Cooke), into her house. Suddenly Debbie turns up dead, and Laine decides to investigate via the Ouija Board she finds in Debbie's room. She gathers her friends, and they connect with an entity from the other side. But strange things begin to happen, and Debbie's friends start dying. After snooping in the attic where the board was found, Laine finds clues to its past and what might have happened. She gets further information from a mysterious woman (Lin Shaye) in an asylum. But the real danger has yet to begin.
Is It Any Good?
The movie offers some legit frights, but none of it matters when the story, characters, acting, and dialogue are so poor. Unlike the cheesy 1980s and 1990s Witchboard movies, Ouija is the official movie of the Hasbro board game. Co-produced by Michael Bay, the movie offers up all the textbook scares -- like sudden loud noises and jump shocks, ghosts opening up their mouths unnaturally wide and screaming and rushing toward the camera, and mysterious figures standing and facing a wall. Some of this stuff is still effective, which is why it has been copied, and it can generate some chills.
But the teen actors look like they mistakenly came from modeling school rather than acting school. They're very attractive but barely even mobile; they mostly pose and pout. Their behavior makes little sense (why does one teen ride his bike into a dark tunnel?), and the plot twists are lazy and formulaic. Only Lin Shaye as a crazy old lady offers up a spark of fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Ouija's violence. How much blood and gore is shown? How does the movie achieve its scary effects?
What's appealing about horror movies? What makes this one scary? Does a movie have to be gory to be scary?
Does the movie make you want to try a Ouija Board, or does it make you want to stay away from them? Why do you think Hasbro decided to let its product be used so prominently in a movie?
How responsible are the teens in this movie? Are any of them intended to be role models?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 24, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : February 3, 2015
- Cast : Olivia Cooke , Ana Coto , Daren Kagasoff
- Director : Stiles White
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : disturbing violent content, frightening horror images, and thematic material
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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