20 Horror Movies Nobody Expected To Be Good

20. Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016)

Michael Bay-produced horror Ouija was critically derided upon its release in 2014. It holds a measly 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, and film critic Jonathan Romney even mocked the idea of an inevitable sequel in his review for The Guardian, writing, "can you imagine queuing for 'Ouija 2: The Return of Doris'?"

That follow-up came two years later in the form of prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil. Despite the bad taste that its predecessor left in audiences' mouths, this film was unexpectedly excellent thanks to the visionary genius of genre icon Mike Flanagan.

Set in 1967, the picture centres on a family whose lives are thrown into chaos when Doris (Lulu Wilson), the young daughter and antagonist of the first movie, becomes possessed by a malevolent spirit after playing with a Ouija board. Not only did Flanagan inject some genuinely unsettling scares into this atmospheric feature, but he also utilised antique lenses and older filmmaking techniques to make the work feel authentic to its setting.

More importantly, the character-driven narrative at the core of the script gave Origin of Evil a surprising amount of heart and depth, placing it as one of the best horror sequels ever made.