Witchboard Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1986

Do you consider an Ouija board to be a simple toy, or do you believe there is a darker truth behind the boards that permits the living to contact the dead? This is the premise that Witchboard, a mid-80's horror film, tackles with great success. If you are a fan of intelligent horror that goes far beyond mindless slashers, you will definitely want to read the review for this supernatural thriller.

Witchboard has always been one of my favorite horror films due to its subject matter as well as its intelligent approach to the horror genre. Having grown up in a Christian household and educated in a Catholic private school, I was all too familiar with the inherent "danger" of attempting to communicate with spirits or demons. While no one really knew if Ouija boards were legitimate forms of divination, one thing was clear: don't tempt fate.

Perhaps it is this background that really made me appreciate the subject matter of this film; it was an interesting study in the "forbidden fruit" that I wasn't to personally engage in as a child. Though I suspect even were I not raised a Catholic I'd still have enjoyed this film as much as I do, for I really appreciate unique approaches to the supernatural horror genre.

Linda Brewster (Tawney Kitaen) is hosting a party with her boyfriend, Jim Morar (Todd Allen). One of the attendees at the party is Brandon Sinclair (Stephen Nichols), a former friend of Jim that became a bitter rival over their shared romantic interests in Linda. During the party a debate about God's existence (or lack thereof) takes place, which segues into an opportunity for Brandon to demonstrate the power of the Ouija board to a skeptical audience.

Brandon and Linda summon the spirit of David, a ten-year old boy that suffered a tragic death, but the session takes a very negative turn when Jim mocks the happenings as well as angers the spirit. The party is concluded soon thereafter.

The next day while Jim is at work Linda's curiosity gets the best of her, so she attempts to summon David all by herself and seemingly succeeds. To gain her trust, the spirit acts in a friendly manner, even helping her find a long-lost diamond ring. But slowly her behavior changes; she becomes prone to mood swings, vulgar outbursts and bouts of nausea.

Jim and Linda believe that her subtle changes are due to her having recently become pregnant, but Brandon believes otherwise. He recognizes Linda's signs as the initial symptoms of a demonic possession, brought about by her using the board alone in her apartment. Apparently it's extremely dangerous for an individual to summon a spirit without a partner because the lack of partner leaves the invoker particularly susceptible to demonic intrusion and ultimately possession.

Brandon desperately tries to make Linda stop using the board, but the more she uses it the more addicted she becomes to her spirit partner. He also tries to convince Jim of the dangers Linda is facing, and while Jim initially laughs off the implications about spirit contact he eventually begins to reconsider when a couple people around him suffer gruesome deaths through mysterious accidents.

But soon Brandon and Jim discover that they may face a spiritual foe far more dangerous than they initially suspected, because the spirit Linda was contacting was not David at all…

If you have any interest in supernatural thrillers then Witchboard is a hidden gem that you will almost assuredly enjoy. Although the film is a horror, it is far detached from what most come to expect within the genre. First and foremost, the characters are intelligent adults rather than shallow teenagers, which makes it all that much easier for us to get drawn into the movie's web.

The body count is fairly low when compared to most horror films. There are certainly a few scenes where the blood flows freely, but ultimately this is a psychological horror rather than a bloodbath. Slashers and other mindless violent horror flicks certainly have their place for me, but I very much enjoy those rare films like Witchboard that can keep me on the edge of my seat with suspenseful and disturbing mind assaults rather than visceral displays.

I cannot fault the acting in Witchboard, because while the actors won't win any awards for their performances in this film the acting quality is significantly better than what one comes to expect from the genre.

The only real criticism that I could direct towards the film is that it features hair and clothing styles that just scream "1980's." For me the big hair and clothes were not a problem since I was a kid during the decade and still have a soft spot for its excessive style, but the film does have that definite 80's feel to it. Of course since you're reading from a site that is dedicated to fans of the 80's, chances are you'll also embrace the film's style.

Witchboard is, quite simply, one of the best horror films ever created. In a genre dominated by generic plots that serve as little more than an excuse to wrack up a large body count, Witchboard is a refreshing change of pace that instead relies on an intriguing premise and intelligent, psychological horror.

Movie rating: 9 stars

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