urbanlegend23

"Ouija" was poorly executed and badly received, and is generally regarded as one of 2014's worst films, so it's hard to imagine anyone eagerly lining up around the block for a follow-up film. As it turns out, the prequel "Ouija: Origin of Evil" is a massive improvement on its predecessor.

Talented director Mike Flanagan – confirming his status as the latest horror maestro by adding this to his 2016 output alongside "Hush" and "Before I Wake" – has been brought in to class up the proceedings and he succeeds admirably. Flanagan captures the look and feel of 1967 Los Angeles and adds a number of neat visual throwbacks and details (such as Universal's 1963–90 logo that opens the film). "Origin of Evil" also has more on its mind than might be expected, raising some interesting ideas around the issues of faith, belief and the existence of an after-life, mainly via protagonist Alice (Elizabeth Reaser), and most effectively when it examines with her belief that the supernatural force in her home is her husband attempting contact from beyond the grave.

The film has a number of effective frights, with the scene where Doris (Lulu Wilson) first sees a ghostly apparition through the Ouija's planchette probably being the best jump-scare. Wilson also brilliantly delivers a monologue to her sister's boyfriend about being strangled to death, an utterly chilling moment and, thanks to Wilson, one of the stand-out scenes of the film. It's also nice to see Annalise Basso back in another Mike Flanagan film, after she showed such promise in the brilliant "Oculus".

Unfortunately "Origin of Evil" goes a bit off the rails in the final act. Up to this point, much of the film thrives on how the haunting plays into the family dynamic and the feelings of the characters, but this is abandoned in favor of a seen-it-all-before haunted house explanation which feels over-the-top for this particular story. The depiction of Doris' possession also becomes a bit stereotypical as the film goes on. She spider-walks up the side of a wall, stretches her mouth to inhuman lengths, whispers malevolently in the ears of other characters…all things that feel old hat (and aren't always visually convincing), unlike the aforementioned monologue scene. Ultimately it feels like "Origin of Evil" succumbs to typical supernatural-horror excess, making it only two-thirds a great film, and overall simply a quite good one. But for a follow-up to such a dreadful first entry into the franchise, this film is far better than anyone had a right to expect.

The main thing that pushed me to finally watch "Affliction" was to check out the Oscar-winning performance by James Coburn. Correct me if I'm wrong, but at the time, this legendary actor scooping up Best Supporting Actor over more the more heavily favored Ed Harris ("The Truman Show") was something of a surprise. Personally, I would've still selected Harris on that ballot, but there can be no doubt that Coburn's skin-crawling turn as an alcoholic, abusive father is also deserving of recognition. He makes this character – who could've been an absolute cartoon – feel completely three-dimensional, and shares a palpable familial chemistry with on-screen son Nick Nolte (also excellent). Coburn's imposing and unpredictable presence ensures the film is infinitely more interesting every time he appears on screen.

Director Paul Schrader establishes a believable small town atmosphere in the film's first hour. The snow-coated, winter setting adds an atmosphere of detachment and bleakness entirely fitting to the journey of the main character.

However, I'd be lying if I didn't say I found "Affliction" to be an overly slow-paced film, lacking in narrative drive. Even the 'murder mystery' aspect (along with it's "is-that-it?" resolution) does not do much for the plot. There is also heavy-handed and unnecessary voice-over narration. Bizarrely it is delivered by Willem Dafoe, who doesn't show up in the film for quite some time, and when he does, doesn't leave much of an impression. It would've been better to omit the narration altogether.

I wouldn't entirely dissuade audiences from checking out "Affliction" – but it is likely to frustrate the mainstream audience expecting more of a murder-mystery thriller. Schrader has opted instead for an introspective character piece, which is certainly going to satisfy some (including, as it happened, the critics, who lavished praise upon this film), but frankly it is going to flat-out bore many viewers.

"As Cool as I Am" is a well-intentioned coming-of-age story, but it seriously lacks focus. The story jumps from one thread to the next, back-and-forth between the main characters' romantic relationships, all with little clarity, understanding of character motivation or overall narrative drive. In amongst this messy storytelling are a few prominent moments: a rape scene, and a moment where a neglectful father slaps his daughter. Both of these jarring moments seem to be almost immediately forgotten about, lacking sufficient follow-up or indication of how the events affect the lives and psyche of the main characters. It's irresponsible of the filmmakers to raise sensitive themes like rape and abuse and not take the time to properly deal with or resolve them.

I've become an increasingly avid Claire Danes fan since 2011 when I became obsessive over "Homeland" – the superb TV drama she headlines – and her involvement was the main factor drawing me to "Cool", her first feature film performance in five years. Sadly it has to be said that if this is the best script Danes can find to draw her back to the big screen, she'd be better off sticking with the box.

Unfortunately for fans like myself, "Cool" doesn't offer Danes (who only gets a sketchy outline of a character at best, and is relegated to the sidelines most of the film) much of an opportunity to stretch her considerable acting muscles. Her performance actually falls flat during the major cathartic, emotional scenes in the final third. The star of the film is Sarah Bolger, who is in almost every scene of the film and leaves a real impression. She's the most genuine thing about the whole project, and her major emotional moments ring true – she even sells her main character's culinary interests which are otherwise undercooked (excuse the pun).

"Cool" has a distinctly unfinished feel. Characters (particularly Danes') make utterly baffling decisions toward the end of the film which are never resolved, and far too many threads are simply left dangling by the final frame. This sub-par, shoulder shrug of an ending leaves a feeling of redundancy around the whole film. What was the point? And another question that just has to be asked while I'm at it: what on Earth is the meaning of the film's title?