I’m watching a horror movie every day in October 2026 — and today’s pick is Mike Flanagan’s mind-bending nightmare (Oct. 2)

Karen Gillan in "Oculus" movie (2013) — (Image credit: Intrepid Pictures / Cinematic / Alamy)

I’ve always loved horror, but October is when I really get to indulge in it. I love the colder weather, the darker evenings and, obviously, the fact that Halloween is just around the corner. There’s something about this time of year that makes watching horror movies feel even better. Give me a dark room, a blanket and a genuinely creepy movie and I’m pretty much sorted.

31 days of horror

Hi, welcome to 31 days of horror, where I’m challenging myself to watch one horror movie every single day for 31 days in October. Some are old favorites I haven’t seen in years, while others are films I’ve never seen before.

So this year, I’m taking my love of horror a little further. I’m challenging myself to watch one horror movie every day for 31 days, taking me from October 1 all the way through Halloween. Some of these are old favorites I haven’t watched in years and desperately need a refresher on, while others are films I’ve somehow never seen before.

For day two, I’m watching “Oculus,” the supernatural horror film written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who has described the movie as being built around distortion and disorientation. I’ve recorded my reaction and thoughts after watching it, so you can follow along with my 31-day horror challenge below (along with a transcript of my video). Will I make it through the month? There’s only one way to find out.

What is ‘Oculus’ about?

Oculus Official Trailer #1 (2014) - Karen Gillan Horror Movie HD - YouTube

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After spending 11 years in a psychiatric facility, Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) is finally released and hopes to move on from the events that destroyed his family. When he was a child, his father was killed and Tim was convicted of the murder, while his older sister Kaylie (Karen Gillan) was placed in foster care.

Now an adult, Kaylie is convinced that an antique mirror called the Lasser Glass was responsible for what happened to their parents. She tracks down the mirror and brings it back to the family home, determined to prove that it caused their deaths and clear her brother's name.

Kaylie sets up cameras, alarms and other precautions around the mirror, documenting everything that happens while Tim remains skeptical of her claims. As the siblings spend more time with the mirror, strange incidents begin occurring around them, forcing Tim to reconsider what he remembers from his childhood.

My thoughts after watching ‘Oculus’

Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites in Oculus — (Image credit: Alamy)

One of my favorite things about “Oculus” is that it doesn’t immediately explain everything that’s happening. Instead, it gives you just enough information to start piecing things together yourself, which makes the whole experience feel much more unsettling. I also really miss horror movies like this that trust the audience and rely on psychological suspense and visceral storytelling rather than spelling everything out.

The way the movie moves between the past and present is another thing I really liked. We see how Kaylie and Tim’s parents dealt with the mirror years earlier, while their grown-up children are now determined to finally prove it’s demonic. What’s particularly impressive is how smoothly those two timelines are woven together. There’s no need for constant flashback cues or reminders because the movie makes it easy to follow both stories as they unfold.

“Oculus” is even more interesting because it never feels like it’s simply a story about a haunted mirror. You’re constantly left wondering whether Kaylie and Tim are experiencing something genuinely supernatural or whether the mirror is making them question their own reality. That uncertainty gives the movie the feel of an old-fashioned ghost story, while its psychological side makes it much more disturbing.

My biggest issue, though, is the logic. Kaylie has spent years researching the mirror and supposedly knows exactly how dangerous it is, yet she still puts herself and Tim in situations where they’re incredibly vulnerable to it. At times, it feels like the characters have to make questionable decisions simply to keep the story moving.

The other problem is that the movie never establishes completely consistent rules for what the mirror can and can’t do. As things progress, some of its abilities become so broad that it starts to feel like the mirror can essentially do whatever the plot requires. That took me out of the movie a little bit, especially towards the end.

Even with those issues, “Oculus” delivers a really intense descent into madness and fear. The constant back-and-forth between the two timelines makes it even harder to know what you can trust, while leaving you wondering just how much control the mirror really has.

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.