By Jon Donnis
Ouija boards in movies have been a creepy staple for decades, and filmmakers love to use them to crank up the fear factor. There's something about a simple wooden board with letters, numbers, and a planchette that gets everyone on edge because, honestly, who wouldn't be freaked out at the idea of talking to spirits? In mainstream films, Ouija boards are often used as a gateway to the paranormal, setting off a chain of spooky or even deadly events. Let's take a look at some of the most popular films where these boards played a significant role and the terrifying things that followed.
The OG of horror movies featuring Ouija boards. This movie is where it all started for a lot of people when it comes to linking these boards with the devil or demonic possession. In "The Exorcist," Regan MacNeil, a sweet 12-year-old girl, innocently plays with a Ouija board she finds in her basement. She begins communicating with an entity she calls "Captain Howdy." At first, it seems like some harmless fun, just a kid's imagination, right? Well, it doesn't take long before things get seriously dark. Regan starts behaving strangely, and the audience quickly learns that Captain Howdy is far from friendly. This scene sets up the entire possession storyline that leaves everyone scarred for life. The Ouija board in "The Exorcist" is basically the door that lets the demonic Pazuzu into Regan's life.
This is one of the movies that is really centered around the Ouija board. In "Witchboard," a group of friends at a party decides to break out a Ouija board for some spooky fun. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, apparently. After the board is used, the main character, Linda, begins communicating with a spirit named David. Things start off tame but soon, strange and violent things happen. Turns out, she's actually been in touch with a malevolent spirit pretending to be David. Classic Ouija move. The movie is full of supernatural elements, there's possession, ghostly apparitions, and even a few people meeting unfortunate ends. The film is kind of cheesy by today's standards but still creepy and a great example of the "don't mess with Ouija boards" message in horror.
In "Paranormal Activity," the Ouija board makes a short but unforgettable appearance. The movie is a found-footage style horror flick that centers on a couple, Katie and Micah, dealing with a demonic presence in their home. At one point, Micah, despite Katie's strong objections, brings home a Ouija board to try to communicate with the entity. Bad idea, dude. When they leave the house, the camera catches the planchette moving on its own and the board catching fire. From that point on, the haunting escalates dramatically. The Ouija board in "Paranormal Activity" symbolizes Micah's arrogance and disbelief, pushing the demon to ramp up its terrifying behavior, which leads to a very chilling ending.
4. Ouija (2014)
This one is pretty on-the-nose, given that the entire movie revolves around the Ouija board. In "Ouija," a group of teenagers finds a Ouija board after their friend Debbie dies under mysterious circumstances. They use the board in an attempt to contact her, thinking they're just connecting with their dead friend. Of course, that's not the case at all. Instead of talking to Debbie, they contact a vengeful spirit named Doris, whose backstory is revealed as the plot unfolds. The group starts getting picked off one by one as the spirit takes revenge on anyone who dares play with the board. It's your typical supernatural slasher flick with lots of jump scares, but it definitely leaves viewers thinking twice before pulling out a Ouija board at a sleepover.
While the Ouija board doesn't play a huge role in "The Conjuring 2," it's there enough to be worth mentioning. The movie is based on the real-life Enfield Poltergeist case, and one of the children involved, Janet, plays with a homemade Ouija board early on. It's a brief moment, but it kicks off a series of paranormal events that escalate into full-blown possession and ghostly activity. The spirits in the movie, mainly the terrifying Crooked Man and the demonic nun, Valak, aren't summoned directly by the board, but the film subtly suggests that messing with the occult is what brings all this horror into their lives.
6. Veronica (2017)Veronica (2017)
This is a prequel to the 2014 "Ouija" movie, and in my opinion, it's much better. Set in 1967, the movie follows a widow and her two daughters, who run a scam business pretending to communicate with the dead. They decide to add a Ouija board to their con game, but they accidentally unleash a real and very angry spirit. The youngest daughter, Doris, becomes the target of the spirit, and soon she's possessed by something truly horrifying. The movie dives deep into the backstory of the spirit from the first "Ouija" film and explains the origin of the supernatural chaos. The Ouija board in this movie is the trigger for everything, turning what was initially a harmless (though deceitful) game into a full-on nightmare.
Going old-school for this one. In "The Uninvited," a classic ghost story from the 40s, a brother and sister buy a beautiful old house on the coast of England only to discover that it's haunted by a very restless spirit. At one point in the movie, they use a Ouija board to try and communicate with the ghost and figure out what it wants. The board tells them the name "Carmel," which leads them to dig into the house's dark past. The Ouija board in this movie is a tool for uncovering the ghost's backstory rather than unleashing chaos, but it's still a pivotal moment in the story.
"The Craft" isn't exactly a movie about Ouija boards, but it does feature one in a memorable scene. The film is about a group of teenage girls who dabble in witchcraft and slowly realize they have real magical powers. Early on in their occult exploration, the girls use a Ouija board to ask if any of them will die soon. The board doesn't give them an answer, but the question looms over the rest of the movie as things take a darker turn. The Ouija board here is more of a symbol for their growing curiosity with the supernatural and the dangerous path they're starting to walk down.
In "What Lies Beneath," the Ouija board is used in a brief but pivotal scene. The movie is about a woman, Claire, who believes her house is haunted by the ghost of a young woman. At one point, Claire and her friend use a Ouija board to try and communicate with the spirit. The board spells out a cryptic message that leads Claire to start unraveling the dark secrets of her husband's past. While the Ouija board isn't central to the plot, it plays a key role in pushing the protagonist to dig deeper into the mystery.
Final Thoughts
Ouija boards in movies are almost always a bad omen. Filmmakers love to use them to kick off hauntings, possessions, and all sorts of supernatural chaos. Whether it's just a quick cameo or a central plot device, the Ouija board is a reliable tool for raising the stakes in any paranormal story. After all, there's something inherently spooky about the idea of inviting the unknown into your world. And these movies show us just how terrifying that can be.
