CREDIT: UNIVERSAL PICTURES
The latest of Halloween horror offerings is Ouija, which serves cheap thrills and Z-grade acting.

NEW WESTMINSTER — The rules of the game are simple: “Never play alone,” “Never play in a graveyard,” “Always say goodbye.”

The newest scary movie to hit the big screen is Ouija, directed by Stiles White, about a group of teens whose friend Debbie dies a mysterious death after making use of a Ouija board she found in her attic. In an attempt to make contact with Debbie, her friends play the game and are met by a spirit named DZ. As the movie goes on, more and more members of the group meet their untimely deaths while the remaining group members do everything in their power to stop the spirits.

Since the premise of the movie isn’t all that original, it needed to go above and beyond to set itself apart. But the jump-scare tactics and mediocre acting left me feeling like I’d seen it all before. Aside from B-list actor Daren Kagasoff (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), no one in the film could be considered a draw and you won’t leave feeling any differently, I’m sure. Clearly done on a modest budget, the movie had a limited setting, which felt very one-dimensional.

The only saving grace of the entire movie was the minor twist in the last 25 minutes, and in a strange ending where a spirit comes back to save the day, complete with wind machines and dramatic lighting. Although the movie isn’t one of outstanding quality, I’d say those looking for a cheap scare could walk away satisfied, if only because they can laugh at how bad it was.