Mike Flanagan is one of the visionary directors that the world needs more of. That’s not to say that everything he makes is perfect or that everyone loves him. His greatest asset is his personal taste. He has specific likes, dislikes, and weird obsessions. When you watch one of his movies or shows, you know the kind of story you’re getting into. Most fans started to gather that understanding in 2013, when he put out Oculus.
Flanagan does a lot of the work on his projects. His most frequent collaborator is his co-writer and producer, Jeff Howard. Howard worked on the script alongside Flanagan on Oculus and several other projects. He scripted an episode or two of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. Flanagan seems to lift a lot of his projects onto his shoulders, but it’s good that he has someone to lighten that load.
Look Into the Oculus and See Mike Flanagan’s Early Work
Oculus follows the Russell family and their encounters with a cursed mirror. It splits its time between two stories 11 years apart. When parents Alan and Marie bring a large, ornate mirror into their home in 2002, its effects subtly poison them. In the modern era, their son Tim returns from a stint in a mental hospital. The central character is Kaylie, Tim’s older sister, who seeks to prove the mirror’s effects to clear her brother’s name. In many ways, it’s two horror movies in one 103-minute package. The 2002 tale sees a pair of children contend with ghosts, while the 2013 narrative comes closer to a paranormal investigation. Many of Mike Flanagan’s usual tricks and themes pop up throughout. If you loved any of his Netflix series, you’ll find a lot of those hallmarks here. If you didn’t, you should probably give Oculus a pass.
Oculus is Mike Flanagan’s second feature, but it’s his first wide release. His first film was 2011’s Absentia, which he partially funded through Kickstarter. He followed it with a stunning 2016, dropping Hush, Before I Wake, and Ouija: Origin of Evil in the same year. His lucrative and long-running connection with Netflix started in 2018 with his first TV show. Flanagan’s Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor stand out as strong entries. I can’t decide on my favorite Flanagan joint. It’s either his stunningly ambitious take on Doctor Sleep or his deeply personal Midnight Mass. He has a deft hand with adaptations, but his original work stands out as well. Love him or hate him, Flanagan is one of the defining voices in horror right now. I’ll take him over Stephen King, even when he’s working with King’s source material.
Oculus isn’t a perfect film, but it is a very impressive start for a horror icon’s career. The 2013 film made $44 million on a tiny $5 million budget. Critics and audiences loved it, pushing Flanagan’s work in front of more eyes than ever. We wouldn’t have Midnight Mass or Gerald’s Game without Oculus. Look into the mirror and see the start of something scary.
