A woman and her young son move into a new home. But after she finds a Witchboard in the garden, strange things begin to happen…
That image above was what I found when looking for a film poster for this film. It’s the same as the one on the IMDB page for the film. It makes the film look interesting in some ways.
But it certainly does not represent the film at all.
The opening of the film, the prologue set in Switzerland, of a man running, being watched by someone as he buries a Witchboard gives the film a hint of a mystery, that the film, which sifts location to England for the main story, never deals with even at the end. Why there is a Witchboard in the garden of the house is never dealt with. Is it the same board? A different one? I still have no idea.
As befits many horror films, once India finds the board, she and her friend decide to try using it, which of course unleashes a spirit of some kind. As to what? The film never really tells us. A Priest, whose also a horror film fan, suggests it could be a poltergeist and some of it’s actions might suggest it is, but that doesn’t explain the possession aspect of the story at all. I get the feeling the two screenwriters, Darrell Buxton and Steven Hardy had an interesting idea in mind, but couldn’t decide on what to do with it.
Director John R. Walker’s direction is rather flat. The horror scenes aren’t scary in the slightest, there’s no tension in the film at all, even in the ending, which, in truth, doesn’t even feel like one.
At the end, you are left with many of the questions you had after the prologue and what answers you may have gotten don’t satisfy at all.
The performances aren’t the best either. Lois Wilkinson plays the lead, in her debut film and sadly isn’t a strong enough lead. The other members of the cast aren’t much better it has to be said. But to be fair, special effects and make up aren’t that bad in truth as is the score by Liam W, Ashcroft (credited to Liam Smith).
Sadly, Ouijageist, is a mismash of ideas that never come together, which as a consequence results in a dull, tension-free film that never comes to life at all.
Something the board at the film’s centre should have warned us about.
Rating: 1/2 out of 5
