10 Great Horrors with TERRIBLE Premises

6. Oculus

There are times where it feels like horror screenwriters just turn any random object into a supernatural threat. Over the years, the genre has given birth to evil saunas, beds, snowmen, and gingerbread men. 

Since such films tend to be pretty naff, anticipation wasn't high for Mike Flanagan's Oculus, which centres around an evil mirror. Not only does the idea sound stupid, it was already done in 2008's Mirrors. 

However, Oculus is brimming with such innovation, Mirrors feels like a wasted opportunity. The paranormal flick opens with siblings, Kaylie and Tim, rebuilding their lives after their parents' bizarre deaths a decade earlier. Believing the house mirror is responsible for the family tragedy, Kaylie performs an elaborate test to prove the antique is haunted.

Rather than falling victim to lazy scares, boring exposition, and forced twists, Flanagan focuses on exploring the dynamic between the two leads. Viewers get heavily invested in their complex relationship, making them genuinely care when Kaylie and Tim are in danger. 

Also, the way the mirror distorts reality is clever, since the characters (and the audience) can't tell what's real. As such, it's startling when the malevolent force pulls a fast one on its victims (especially when it tricks Kaylie to bite into a lightbulb instead of an apple).