‘Ouija: Origin of Evil’ Has a Spooky ‘Oculus’ Easter Egg

Weirdly enough, this week’s only new wide theatrical release is…Inferno. Luckily, Ouija: Origin of Evil hit theaters last week, giving thrill-seeking audiences a perfectly scary alternative to watching Tom Hanks solve some puzzles this Halloween weekend. If you’ve already seen Mike Flanagan’s surprisingly solid Ouija prequel, you may have noticed a particularly creepy easter egg lurking in the fictional family’s basement — and if you haven’t seen the film yet (or if you didn’t notice the first time around), Flanagan has confirmed a spooky connection to his previous horror hit, Oculus, which should inspire you to check out Origin of Evil this weekend.

There are a few reasons to see Ouija: Origin of Evil: It’s (almost) Halloween and you want to watch something scary (and good) in a theater, and the spooky-fun prequel is definitely worth your $12; Flanagan’s film is vastly superior to its predecessor, and even if you didn’t see that movie, it’s not required viewing; and if you are a fan of the first Ouija, the prequel does have a fun connection to that movie (stay after the credits).

And speaking of connections, Flanagan took to Twitter to confirm a neat little easter egg in Origin of Evil:

That would be the Lasser Glass from Oculus, Flanagan’s 2014 film starring Karen Gillan. You may recall that the glass, which is actually a mirror, is possessed by malevolent forces that induce horrific hallucinations. Without getting into spoiler territory, the climactic scene in Ouija: Origin of Evil takes place in the basement of the home where a family is being tormented by sinister spirits conjured by the titular board game. As Flanagan confirms, eagle-eyed Oculus fans will probably notice a very familiar object in that basement.

Although Origin of Evil likely has no direct connection to Oculus, it’s possible that they take place in the same world, so to speak, and given the spirits’ proclivity for manipulating perception in the Ouija prequel, the presence of the Lasser Glass makes sense.

If you’re looking for more fun Oculus connections to give you a few scares this weekend, you should take a few minutes to read Stephen King’s short story “The Reaper’s Image.” Featured in his Skeleton Crew collection, that story also centers on a haunted antique mirror and shares a few similarities with Oculus. King’s story may have partially inspired Flanagan, as the filmmaker is a huge fan of the iconic author; his next project is an adaptation of King’s novel Gerald’s Game.