Let's be honest about the 2014 movie Ouija. Critics absolutely shredded it. It currently sits with a dismal 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is, frankly, impressive in a "how did this happen?" sort of way. But here is the thing: the movie made a ton of money. Against a tiny $5 million budget, it raked in over $100 million. Why? Because the cast of Ouija 2014 was actually full of incredibly talented young actors who were just starting to find their footing in Hollywood.
If you rewatch it today, it’s like a time capsule of "before they were famous" faces. You’ve got people who ended up in massive franchises, critically acclaimed indies, and hit TV shows. The movie itself might have been a predictable jump-scare fest, but the people on screen were working hard to sell that plastic board game as a portal to hell.
Olivia Cooke as Laine Morris
Olivia Cooke was the heart of this movie. Before she was playing the calculating Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon or surviving the OASIS in Ready Player One, she was Laine Morris. In Ouija, she plays the grieving best friend who just wants to say goodbye to her pal Debbie.
Cooke has always had this "soulful" quality to her acting. Even in a script that asks her to stare intensely at a piece of wood, she brings a level of sincerity that the movie probably didn't deserve. She’s an English actress, though you’d never know it from her flawless American accent in the film. Since 2014, her career has basically been a vertical line up. She moved from horror into prestigious dramas like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and eventually landed the role of a lifetime in the Game of Thrones prequel. Honestly, seeing her run around a haunted house in 2014 feels like watching a pro athlete playing in a high school scrimmage.
Ana Coto and the Rest of the Friend Group
Then you have Ana Coto, who played Sarah Morris, Laine’s rebellious sister. Coto brought a specific kind of edgy energy to the role. While she hasn't become a household name in the same way Cooke has, she found a massive second life in an unexpected place: TikTok. If you’ve spent any time on the app, you probably know her as the "Queen of Roller Skating." She basically single-handedly revitalized interest in outdoor skating during the 2020 lockdowns, proving that there’s more than one way to stay relevant in the entertainment industry.
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The rest of the "victim" circle included Daren Kagasoff as Trevor and Douglas Smith as Pete. Kagasoff was already a teen heartthrob from The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and in Ouija, he plays the classic skeptical boyfriend role. Douglas Smith, on the other hand, has had a fascinatingly weird career. He showed up in Big Little Lies and The Alienist, usually playing characters that are a bit more complex than "guy who gets killed by a ghost."
Bianca Santos and the Horror Tropes
Bianca Santos played Isabelle. You might recognize her from The Duff, which came out around the same time. In Ouija, she’s the friend who—spoilers for a decade-old movie—meets a pretty gruesome end involving dental floss. It’s one of those scenes that actually stuck with people because it was so tactile and gross. Santos has stayed busy since then, appearing in shows like Legacies and Grey's Anatomy. She’s one of those working actors who pops up everywhere and you’re always like, "Wait, I know her from somewhere."
Why the Cast of Ouija 2014 Deserved Better Writing
It’s interesting to look back at the production. This was a Hasbro-produced movie. They wanted to turn their board games into movies following the success of Transformers. But a board game isn't a story. It's a tool. The actors were essentially tasked with carrying the weight of a brand rather than a narrative.
Lin Shaye also makes an appearance as Paulina Zander. If you’re a horror fan, Lin Shaye is royalty. She’s the face of the Insidious franchise. Having her in the movie gave it a bit of "horror street cred," even if the plot was a bit thin. She plays the creepy old woman in the mental institution—a trope, sure, but Shaye eats that stuff for breakfast. She brings a level of menace that actually makes the second half of the movie somewhat creepy.
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The movie was directed by Stiles White. It was his directorial debut. He had a background in special effects and production, working on big stuff like The Sixth Sense and Jurassic Park III. You can see that influence in the visuals—the movie looks "expensive" for a $5 million project—but the script, which he co-wrote with Juliet Snowden, felt like it was playing it too safe. They stayed within the PG-13 lines, which meant they couldn't go full-tilt into the darkness that a movie about a demonic board game probably needs.
The Prequel Pivot
What’s wild is that the sequel (actually a prequel), Ouija: Origin of Evil, is widely considered a masterpiece of modern horror. It was directed by Mike Flanagan. But that movie had a completely different cast. It’s rare to see a franchise survive a terrible first installment, but the brand name was strong enough to get a second shot.
The 2014 cast didn't return for the sequel because, well, most of them didn't survive the first one. Also, the prequel was set in the 1960s. But looking back, the 2014 film served as a launchpad. It proved that these actors could hold an audience's attention even when the material was lacking.
A Quick Look at the Numbers
- Budget: $5 million
- Opening Weekend: $19.8 million
- Worldwide Gross: $103.6 million
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 6%
The disparity between that 6% and the $100 million gross is the real story here. It shows the power of the Ouija brand and the charisma of a young, attractive cast that people wanted to see on screen.
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Practical Takeaways for Fans of the Actors
If you’re looking to follow the careers of the cast of Ouija 2014, you don't need to rewatch the movie (unless you're into mid-2010s nostalgia). Instead, check out their later, more substantial work to see how much they've grown as performers.
- Watch Olivia Cooke in Sound of Metal. It’s a total 180 from her horror roots and shows her incredible range. Or, obviously, House of the Dragon for high-stakes political drama.
- Follow Ana Coto on social media if you want to see some genuinely impressive skating choreography and a masterclass in personal branding.
- Check out Douglas Smith in Big Little Lies. He plays Corey Brockfield, and it’s a great example of his ability to play "quietly intense" characters.
- Keep an eye on Bianca Santos in her guest spots on major network dramas; she’s become a reliable veteran of the TV circuit.
The legacy of the 2014 film isn't really the story of a girl and a board game. It’s the story of a group of actors who took a paycheck for a "studio filler" horror movie and used it as a stepping stone to become some of the most recognizable faces in the industry today. It's a reminder that in Hollywood, a "bad" movie can still be a very good career move.
To truly understand the trajectory of these stars, compare their performances in Ouija to their work just three years later. The jump in confidence and technique is staggering. Most of these actors were in their early 20s during filming—literally kids in industry terms—learning how to hit marks on a big-budget set for the first time. If you’re a budding actor or filmmaker, there’s a lesson there about "doing the work" even when the script isn't Shakespeare. You never know who is watching or what doors a $100 million box office hit will open, regardless of the reviews.