Oculus

Oculus

Year: 2014

Runtime: 104 min

Language: English

Director: Mike Flanagan

Budget: $5M

Horror

Following a family tragedy ten years prior, siblings Tim and Kaylie are confronted by a disturbing presence linked to an antique mirror. Kaylie investigates the events surrounding their parents' violent deaths, uncovering a dark history and triggering a series of terrifying visions. As she delves further into the mystery, she struggles to distinguish between reality and hallucination, jeopardizing her sanity and putting her in grave danger.

Dark
Bleak ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Mixed pacing
Complex story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Oculus (2014)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Oculus (2014). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

2002, 2013

Two timelines structure the narrative: 2002 and 2013. In 2002, the mirror first corrupts the family, fueling psychosis and tragedy. In 2013, Kaylie and Tim confront the artifact as adults and attempt to document and destroy it. The interplay between past and present highlights how trauma is memory and how belief shapes reality.

Location

family home, auction house, Alan's office

The primary setting is the family home, where the mirror exerts its malevolent influence and distorts the lives of the Russell family. The house becomes a site of paranoia, decay, and surreal visions as plants die and the dog vanishes. The auction house and Alan's office are secondary settings that frame Kaylie's access to the artifact and the initial discovery of its powers.

🏠 Home 🔎 Mystery 🔮 Supernatural

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:53

Main Characters – Oculus (2014)

Meet the key characters of Oculus (2014), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kaylie Russell (Karen Gillan)

Kaylie is a determined and intelligent young woman who has spent years researching the mirror's history. As an employee of an auction house, she gains access to the artifact and organizes a surveillance-based plan to document its powers. She aims to prove Tim's innocence and to destroy the mirror.

🎯 Determined 🧠 Intelligent 🧭 Investigative

Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites)

Tim is the son who is initially skeptical and scarred by his family's deaths, later confronting the mirror's power. He is institutionalized after the events of 2002 and reappears as an adult, gradually accepting the supernatural influence before fighting to escape its grip with Kaylie. His perspective contrasts with Kaylie's methodical approach.

🧠 Skeptical 🧭 Loyal 🕊️ Traumatized

Marie Russell (Katee Sackhoff)

Marie is the mother who becomes withdrawn and paranoid under the mirror's influence. Her mental deterioration escalates to a point where she appears animal-like and is ultimately killed by Alan. She embodies the human cost of the artifact's manipulation.

🧠 Troubled 💔 Tragic 🕊️ Protective

Alan Russell

Alan is a software engineer who becomes isolated and possessed by the mirror. He drives the family toward violence, ultimately killing himself after forcing Tim to shoot him, leaving a final crack in the mirror as a grim testament to the trauma.

🗡️ Violent 🕳️ Haunted

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:53

Major Themes – Oculus (2014)

Explore the central themes of Oculus (2014), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪞 Supernatural Power

The mirror functions as a conduit for a malevolent presence that thrives on fear. It induces hallucinations and distorts reality, guiding the family toward tragedy. The ghosts and the unseen entities appear as victims of the mirror's influence, illustrating how a single object can corrupt a household. The film uses this theme to question what is real when perception is controlled by an outside force.

🧠 Memory and Perception

The dual timelines force characters to confront unreliable memory. Kaylie's documentary effort clashes with the mirror's manipulation of recollection. As events refract between 2002 and 2013, truth becomes elusive and memory becomes a weapon. The narrative uses memory as a battleground to reveal truth.

💔 Family Tragedy

The artifact triggers paranoia and aggression, fragmenting the family unit. Marie and Alan's relationship deteriorates under the mirror's influence. The siblings must navigate a home that has become a trap. The story ends with resilience as they vow to destroy the mirror.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:53

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Narrative Summary

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Narrative Summary

The plot typically follows adult children returning to or investigating the source of a childhood trauma, often a specific object or location. Their investigation uncovers a dark history, triggering events that replay past tragedies, highlighting a cyclical and seemingly inescapable nature of the horror.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core narrative pattern of exploring generational trauma through a supernatural lens. They blend family drama with horror, creating a heavy emotional weight as characters grapple with a fate that feels both personal and predestined.

Unlock the Full Story of Oculus

Don't stop at just watching — explore Oculus in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Oculus is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Oculus Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Oculus, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Oculus Summary

Oculus Timeline

Track the full timeline of Oculus with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Oculus Timeline

Oculus Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Oculus that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Oculus Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Oculus

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Oculus: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Oculus

Explore More About Movie Oculus

Oculus (2014) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Oculus (2014) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Oculus (2014) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow