In the horror prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil, opening this week, a single mother and her two daughters run a scam seance business out of their home. But then they unwittingly unleash an authentic evil spirit that overtakes the youngest daughter.
The origins of the Ouija board date back centuries, although the modern version really took off in popularity in 1966 when gamemaker Parker Brothers bought out a the owner of a Ouija board making company who claimed to have invented it. Since then, the board has played key roles in many horror movies. We've picked some of the most notable appearances.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The story picks up in England, where a family is about to be torn apart after a malicious spirit manifests itself, following an unwise decision to play a certain board game.
Haunter (2013)
Young Lisa (Abigail Breslin) appears to be living the same day over and over again, but no else in her family seems to notice. Desperate, she uses an Ouija board to try and find answers. Instead, she makes more unsettling connections.
Grave Encounters 2 (2012)
This self-reflexive meta movie imagines that the original Grave Encounters (2011) was real and that millions of people have become obsessed with it. A film student and his friends decide to make a documentary about the phenomenom, traveling to the original location and discovering an Ouija board that only leads them to more trouble. (Note: trailer below is NSFW.)
I Am ZoZo (2012)
The malevolent spirit known as ZoZo is contacted through an Ouija board and proceeds to attach itself to the five young people who were using it.
Ouija (2014)
A group of friends are in for the surprise of their young lives when they accidentally awaken malevolent spirits.
The Exorcist (1973)
Before this demon-possessed tale gets really hairy, Chris (Ellen Burstyn) discovers an Ouija board in the basement and asks her daughter Reagan (Linda Blair) about it.
Witchboard (1986)
It all seems fun and innocent when someone uses an Ouija board at a party to try to contact the spirit of a dead child, but the lighthearted scene in this clip quickly gives way to terror. It seems that the spirit contacted is not that of the child, but of a threatening impersonator.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer star in this high-class horror thriller directed by Robert Zemeckis. In one scene, not available in a clip, Pfeiffer and her friend (Diana Scarwid) unsuccessfully attempt to contact a spirit with an Ouija board. The trailer conveys the story -- perhaps a bit too much! -- and the growing tension.
Paranormal Activity (2009)
After Katie is the victim of paranormal activity, her husband borrows an Ouija board in a stubborn attempt to contact the spirit responsible. Infuriated, she insists they leave the house, leaving the board to do what it will in the empty living room.
A Haunted House (2013)
Marlon Wayans cowrote and stars in this parody of recent horror movies, featuring an Ouija board scene and a spirit with, er, limited education. (We're unable to embed the clip, but you can watch it here.) The trailer below gives a good sense of the often crude, yet on-target, tone.
