Mike Flanagan’s 2013 Hidden Gem Oculus Is Streaming for Free

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This director has truly raised the bar for horror movies, moving away from predictable scares and focusing on strong stories and artistic quality. Though he’s recently become well-known for successful adaptations of Stephen King’s work and Netflix series like The Haunting of Hill House, he’s actually been a significant figure in the horror genre for quite some time.

His filmmaking debut was the film Absentia. He quickly followed that up with the supernatural horror movie Oculus in 2013. Oculus starred Karen Gillan and is currently available to watch for free on Tubi.

This horror movie jumps between the present and the past, focusing on brother and sister, Tim and Kaylie. Now adults, they’re trying to reconnect while grappling with the traumatic deaths of their parents eleven years ago. They believe an old mirror played a role in the tragedy.

This old mirror isn’t just a beautiful antique – it holds a dangerous, supernatural power that can take over the minds of those who look into it. As Kaylie investigates, she and her brother find themselves trapped by the mirror’s evil influence.

Mike Flanagan directed, edited, and co-wrote the screenplay for Oculus with Jeff Howard. The film is an expanded version of his 2006 short film, Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan. Rose Byrne stars as adult Kaylie Russell, with Annalise Basso portraying her younger self. Brenton Thwaites plays the adult Tim, and Garrett Ryan plays him as a child. The cast also includes Flanagan’s frequent collaborator and partner, Kate Siegel, along with Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane.

The movie Oculus was a big hit with both critics and audiences, earning a substantial return on its small $5 million budget – it ultimately grossed $44 million. While critics gave it a ‘Fresh’ rating of 75%, viewers were less enthusiastic, with an approval score of 54%.

Mike Flanagan Teased More Stories Set in the Oculus Universe

Mike Flanagan has hinted at the possibility of a sequel to Oculus. He revealed in 2024 that he has many more stories to tell within that world. However, a continuation is complicated by the ownership of the film rights. He explained that figuring out who currently owns Oculus 2 would be the first hurdle to overcome, and he’s unsure of the current rights situation.

Flanagan added that he has many stories he’d like to share about the experience. He especially enjoyed working with Karen Gillan and was happy to collaborate with her again, though he joked about the difficulty of bringing her character back without resorting to a resurrection. He also mentioned that Annalise Basso, who also appears in the project, was originally in Oculus, which he found exciting.

There aren’t currently any confirmed plans for another Oculus story. However, he did recently work with Karen Gillan and Basso again on a film that was released in theaters this year.

Oculus is streaming on Tubi.

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2025-12-10 18:10