‘Let’s play. One. More. Time.’
Ouija Séance: The Final Game is a 2018 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Andrea Mugnaini and starring Alan Cappelli Goetz, Katharina Sporrer and Holly Mumford.
Sarah and her friends, while staying in Italy, have plans to get away for the weekend until a wrench is thrown into the works; Sarah’s grandmother left her a country villa in the woods, and legal representatives require the original documentation be left at the remote premises. After finding an Ouija Board in the attic, they unknowingly awaken an evil force connected to the villa’s hidden secrets…
While initially getting off to a promising start, with interesting Italian locales, decent cinematography, and a tolerable yet predictable premise, the film begins to fall short early on when it becomes apparent that writer/director Andrea Mugnaini is pulling exclusively from a generic pool of ’80s horror films.
We’re presented with a cast of early thirty-somethings playing twenty-somethings behaving like eleventh-hour teenagers, with each character type – from whiner to toker to nice guy to semi-virginal lead – given the stage and given the opportunity to participate in eye-rolling squabbles. There’s even a creepy, milky-eyed caretaker making an ominous appearance and foretelling doom.
Ultimately, the plot is a hodgepodge of disparate elements tossed into the mix with none of it sticking together, being clarified or making much sense. Some of the acting is dodgy, and the resolution is far from dazzling and can be seen coming from a million miles away. Best to avoid.
Ben Spurling, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Bland dialogue dares not be more creative than “I’ll kill you, you bitch!” or someone shouting “I can’t see!” after something blinds his eyes. The Ouija board carved from a tree stump looks unusually cool, but it only peripherally factors into the film, never mind the title. I can’t picture anyone having any sort of investment in the scare-free movie’s undercooked plot developments or uninteresting personalities.” Culture Crypt
“Ouija Seance attempts to scare the audience in one of two ways: by playing loud noises, and by showing shadows moving across the backdrop of scenes, accompanied by loud noises. That’s pretty much it. Despite Ouija Seance’s title, I can only think of two or three scenes in which something vaguely paranormal happens […] To call this movie a cookie-cutter film would do a disservice to cookie-cutter films.” Flickering Myth
” …I have to admit that it was underwhelming in some areas, especially the horror aspects. Although it’s produced great, filmed great and features capable performances, I do have to grade it as a horror film…and it was slightly under the mark. I do think it deserves to be seen, and diehard paranormal activity fans is the crowd I would recommend this to the most.” Horror Society
“The script wasn’t necessarily focused on the Ouija itself, but more on Sarah discovering the evil secrets that her mother tried to keep hidden, as well as her strained relationships with her friends. It works, and overall, I enjoyed the film.” Pop Horror
Release:
Released by High Octane Pictures in the USA on VOD on July 3, 2018, and on August 3rd, 1018, on DVD.
More Italian horror
Trailer:
Full film – free to watch online:
