Sinister Reviews

GeeeeeZ! Eh, try turning on some lights. I like Peter Howell's "more stupid than scary" comment : )

Sinister didn't work for me either as mystery or as horror. As far as horror is concerned, children with joker's make-up were hardly scary. The music & the execution are suitable for eighties, if not earlier. The story is too predictable for a mystery flick. Most can figure out outright who the wicker ones are, and what is in store. The performances were as good as the script. Despite the predictable plot, I was looking forward for a twisted ending. It managed to disappoint even there. All the same, glad to know that it served well to majority of its viewers thus far.

A

Sinister ended up being a big fat dud for me. I was quite bored with the whole damn thing. Many on here have really liked the movie and have even went as far as to say it's the scariest film they have ever seen. Which I find hard to believe since my 8 year old nephew said, "Man that movie was awful!" after it went off. I'm actually a little bummed I didn't have the same reaction like those who liked it. I was really looking forward to a good scary flick. Instead I got some cheap predictable scares. I will admit that the story isn't too bad. I mean the whole thing is kind of interesting on what is behind the killings. But everything just seemed so long and a big build up to a disappointing climax.

Ethan Hawke stars as a crime story novelist, in need of a new hit. He moves his wife and two kids to a newhome, that housed some murders and finds a box of home movies. Doing his research he watches the movies, which reveal some pretty crazy murders. From there the family starts to be haunted by some dead children and a weird looking figure that shows up in each movie. The atmosphere in this movie is awesome. It has the generic "BOO" moments, but the music and suspense is great. There were a few times the where the tension mounted that I got goose bumps. Ethan Hawke does an awesome job, especially as he gets more and more unhinged. The ending isn't the greatest or anything, but it's very well done. The last few years there's been a lot of bad horror movies, but this is one of the exceptions and is very good. Takes the "haunted" type genre and puts a few unique spins on it. I really liked it, and I'm sure there will be a bunch of sequels, which I'll definitely check out. If your a fan of horror movies then you should absolutely watch this.

Scott Derrickson's Sinister lives up to its title.Giving the impression that something harmful will happen is what this story does. With that said, the pacing is quite slow and the tone does come across monotone at times. Even the ominous atmosphere isn't enough to pick it up.The scares are far and few in between and in fact, it isn't all that scary. This isn't necessarily a flaw because this picture works better as a thriller than a straight up horror. In regards to the violence, it is somewhat light for an R rated movie.The acting is satisfactory thanks to Ethan Hawke. A solid portion of the 105 minute screen time is all Hawke. Fred Dalton Thompson, Vincent D'Onofrio, James Ransone, and Juliet Rylance successfully fill in the rest of the time.Sinister does have its share of pros, along with its share of cons that ultimately cancel each other out.

The best horror movie from 2012 that I have seen so far. It actually is very scary and has moments outside of the typical Boo! moments that frighten and is very light on the gore, which is atypical of films in this genre in today's age. This is not one of those fast paced horror movies that desensitizes you to the violence by the end (even though the poster suggests it), but rather a deliberately paced and incredibly effective spookfest aimed more at the people who liked the original Paranormal Activity before the series became a cashcow. This isn't a found footage film like Paranormal Activity, but rather one that uses found footage as a part of the story. There's some clever twists and it uses the found footage to enhance the story, rather than as a gimmick. I really don't want to say much about the story, you just have to experience it for yourself, but I found it very satisfying and the ending does not punk out like most horror movies do. Ethan Hawke is effective as the ordinary man and the supporting cast is made up of less known actors, which I like in horror movies because they don't bring any baggage to the role and aren't just their for the paycheck. You feel for the characters and don't see them as other characters they have played before. Sinister offers up some very creepy images and a story that packs a punch. I recommend it to any horror aficionado who is fed up with the current state of the genre like me. It has plenty of surprises up its sleeve.

"Sinister" is dark, compelling, and scary. Derrickson's direction adds tension to each scene, and Ethan Hawke gives a top notch performance. The end is entertaining, but a bit contrived. Despite this flaw, "Sinister" remains a fun watch for horror enthusiasts. Grade: B

Despite the protagonist being a complete moron who stays in a creepy house when all good sense would make him leave, this is a disturbing movie that manages to cause unease with an ominous atmosphere - but this efficient effort is ruined by cheap scares and a terrible ending.

Out of not many good horror flicks from 2012, "Sinister" stands out among the few best that were released. Having a significant amount of jump scares, this film is able to pull of what most horror films fail miserably at today, and that is to provide genuinely terrifying images on the screen that will make you not want to do what the actors have been doing throughout the duration of the film. As the true story about a writer who investigates a series of murders unfolds, the story becomes creepier and the scenes become much more tense. With a unique style of writing, a good sense of direction, and a plot that could not go wrong, "Sinister" is a very very enjoyable movie that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a genuine scare!

Investigative horror that often hits the right notes in terms of scares but is mainly successful thanks to a strong bunch of characters. Sinister tells of Ethan Hawke as a true crime novelist. He has just moved to a new town with his family in an attempt to write a new book. However he is met with hostility from the locals, and soon finds a strange collection of gruesome home videos. Sinister has a great bunch of characters who feel real and fleshed out, making each of their decisions make perfect sense within the context of the film. We also some some bending of the traditional characters, as the hapless Deputy is actually very smart. Hawke's occupation as a writer means it makes sense when he doesn't call the cops and wishes to investigate himself. The found footage element is scary, and there are some terrific visuals. Unfortunately the entire film is ruined by the trailer. The plays with the idea of reality vs. the supernatural, but the trailer has already told us what to expect and explained what is going on. There are also too many jump scares which lesson the impact of the visuals. Finally, the film represents a twist towards the end which I thought was simply a given. Meaning when they revealed it I thought we were already supposed to know that particular bit of information. Overall a very decent horror that I would welcome a sequel to and will probably watch again.

Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of director Scott Derrickson's previous films "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose" and "The Day The Earth Stood Still" so it's promising to see that he actually can craft something of a reasonable amount of quality. This didn't impress me as much as it did others but it's still an admirably (sometimes excellently) crafted horror movie.
Crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) has a career that is now nosediving. He's in desperate need of another bestseller and to achieve this, he moves into a house to research a book where the hanging of an entire family took place. His wife (Juliet Rylance) and children are oblivious that theyâ??re living in a crime scene but once Ellison discovers a box of home movies in the attic, the dark events begin to unravel and affect them all.
Derrickson's handling of the material here is quite impressive. He keeps the plot moving briskly and has a good grasp on mood and atmosphere. He's also aided by a typically reliable lead performance from Ethan Hawke. From the offset, it appears that all the ingredients are in place and for the most part they are. Very few modern horrors have achieved such a commanding hold over a contemporary audience. However, once the supernatural element to the story is introduced it begins to lose it's way and credulity becomes stretched. If it had relied more on it's highly effective, investigatory nature, it would have made a very good serial-killer thriller: the Super-8, home video scenes alone, are truly alarming and disturbing and instil a real feeling of dread. That being said ,this a horror at the end of the day and most fans of the genre will, no doubt, be satisfied. Personally, I wish it had stuck with the intriguing first half. During this time, it was a far more effective take on Joel Schumacher's earlier 1999 film "8mm" that also dealt with a similar theme of investigating 'snuff-movies'. Like most horrors, it has the protagonist making foolish decisions in the dark and it throws the obligatory jumpy moment at you - which doesn't always work - but for me, the real horror came from the genuinely unsettling atmosphere.
On the whole, this was a very effective and chilling film but it was the unravelling of the mystery in the final third that didn't quite match what had went before. A fine effort but it could have been tighter.

I saw this one in the theater and it definitely increased the movie experience. Dark is really dark and the shock-effects come across better (I wish you could drop the rest of the visitors through a trapdoor; nervous people become chatty).
Too bad the story was lame and there was no chemistry whatsoever between Ethan Hawke and Juliet Rylance, who plays his wife. I usually like Hawke as a supporting actor, he just didn't really pull it off as a leading daddy. The child-actors in make-up at the end ruined the whole movie for me; anti-climax. And nobody likes those...

This would have made a great short film. Sinister's got about enough plot for a good episode of Supernatural. They took all this time to build a really wonderful, (and wonderfully evil villain) and they didn't do anything with him! I hate it when novel ideas are wasted in movies. I also think it was a bit of a narrative mistake to give all the detective work to a police officer who doesn't do any of it on screen. The main character is a true crime novelist, for Pete's sake! For shame. Apart from all the times it disappointed me with its red herrings and promises of a brilliant payoff, a lot of Sinister's scare gags really connected. It succeeded in recreated those alone-at-night willies that make old-school slashers so delicious. If you liked those back in the day, this one is good for the same reason. I liked them too, but they're not my favorite.

One of the most disturbing and scary horror films in recent memory, Sinister is sure to please diehard horror fans. The film is one of the best in the genre this year along with The Cabin in the Woods. If you were disappointed by The House at the End of the Street, Sinister may offer what you were looking for in a terrifying flick. The film is not perfect, and it could have been better, but it relies on tense, brooding atmosphere to elevate the supernatural overtones that director Scott Derrickson tries to convey. I thoroughly recommend this horror yarn to genre fans that are disappointed with most horror films that are currently being released. Ethan Hawke is great here, and the rest of the cast do a fine job as well. This is a stunning film that will chill you to the bone. I enjoyed the fact that it used the found footage angle as a plot device, instead of making it as just another found footage film. With that said, the fact that the main character found a box full of videos with murders on them was pretty cool in the sense that it was part of the plot and wasn't another run of the mill genre flick, which added so much more to the experience of the film. The film relies on atmosphere to create its horror, and it works well enough throughout to make you sit on the edge of your seat until the final chilling frame. Sinister will be a film that is most likely going to be remembered for years to come because it is among the first newer films that truly terrifies and doesn't rely on excessive special effects, jump scares and a stupid plot. This picture relies more on a well crafted script, strong characters and the fear of what will happen next to deliver a memorable horrifying experience.

In this sort of anti-found footage film from director Scott Derrickson, "Sinister", a movie I would refer to as more of a thriller than an actual horror because of the limited genre based scares it contains, surprisingly does contain such a high level of suspense throughout its eerie premise, that in the end, even though it does have one major flaw, it turns out to be the scariest movie of the year so far (by far).

The Plot: "The Shinning" inspired premise involves a writer of true crime novels by the name of Ellison Oswalt (played by Ethan Hawke) who, in order to gather information for his new book, moves his wife and two children into a house where a family was brutally murdered; without his families prior knowledge of course. You see, it's been ten years since Ellison's last big hit and with his financial situation and marriage both on the rocks, this plot point is seen as his final desperate attempt to write a lucrative novel. While moving in, he finds a series of Super 8 films, he suspects to be home movies, in the attic, and begins watching them as part of his investigation. What he soon discovers is that these films not only document the murder of the family whose house he now resides in, but also the grisly murders (each more gruesome than the last) of three more unknown families. As the days continue, he proceeds to watch each of these films, looking for clues. But what he finds is much more alarming, when during one viewing he discovers that a man (or monster) has been standing in the background of each one of the films, the entire time.

Why this thriller for the most part works so well is quite simple. First of all, Derrickson's direction, aside from a few inevitable hiccups (which I will touch on later) creates an undeniably suspenseful atmosphere, which slowly escalates throughout the entire film. I don't know about you, but that is exactly what I want out of a good horror flick. And aside from the obvious visuals of the all too disturbing killings, Derrickson's use of hand held camera movement and a good amount of visually haunting shots elevates what could have been a true disaster of a film, into one that is a mixture of an intriguing psychological thriller and spooky campfire tale. And if you think I'm giving Derrickson too high of visual praise here, I will end with this: "Sinister" is not only the most beautifully shot horror film in recent years, but also makes a compelling case for a best director nomination (which will never happen).

The second reason "Sinister" works so well lies in how high the screenplay writer (in this case Scott Derrickson) has upped the hero's stakes. Aside from a movie visually not being scary enough, distractingly obnoxious or unlikeable characters are usually the downfalls of any horror film. For example: Every movie in the "Saw" and "Hostel" franchise, or a movie where you are rooting for the deformed bad-guy to chop up the beautiful teenagers. That's why I believe that the protagonists motive in "Sinister", a struggling artist who will stop at nothing to boost his career (much like Ethan Hawke) is so believable/compelling, as well as contains a fair amount of pathos, that any plot holes, over-the-top supernatural visuals or accounts of bad acting will most likely be immediately forgiven, if not outright ignored by a larger majority of theater going audiences.

As I had made mention to prior, "Sinister" is unfortunately held back from being a great horror because of one major flaw. A flaw I'd like to refer to as "the child-element." This is the case with many horror films, when the story revolves around children or in the case of "Sinister" children play an intricate role in the reveal, the entire movie has the strong potential of visually becoming quite goofy. There are two instances which implement, for lack of a better phrase, ghost children. These two sequences are undeniably silly and in turn are too great to be ignored, instantly taking the viewer out of the film experience. Now, that is not to say that because the story is so good that one of these scenes can't be quickly forgotten. It's just a shame that the other sequence in question makes up (semi-spoiler alert) the final 3 minutes of the film, absolutely ruining Sinister's ending. In short, for 80 or so minutes this is a damn near perfect thriller, but in the latter half, when this film focuses more and more on the man/monster, the movie itself becomes more susceptible to the visually laughable/supernatural ghost children moments in question.

Spoiler Alert/Side Note/Final Thought: I am what you would call a self proclaimed film geek. So amidst watching "Sinister", a film that is so heavily structured around watching Super 8 films and "things" that live in film strips, I couldn't help but look for a deeper geek-like meaning. Warning: I may be ruining a plot development amidst my explanation, so if you haven't seen "Sinister", don't read this paragraph. OK, so in the film our protagonist (Ellison, which sounds like Edison) finds a box of Super 8's, plays them on an old projector and sees the man in the background of each of the films. Because of circumstances surrounding old technology he transfers the footage onto his computer, resulting in the creation of a digital copy. There comes a time further on in the story where circumstances force Ellison to destroy the film footage. And while he successfully does so with his computer copies, upon his attempt in destroying the original film strips, he finds them to be seemingly indestructible. To me, this reads as a quite interesting statement, that while we are currently living through the extinction of movies being shot on film, "Sinister" almost winks at the audiences, as if to say, "even though digital is our future, film will never die." If you agree with my geekology or think that I am over thinking it and need to get a life, Tweet me @moviesmarkus and share your thoughts.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

What a outstanding film this is. There has been many good, great and even masterful horror films in the past history of cinema, but not many of them has achieved the same disturbing heights which Scott Derrickson's masterful Sinister does. Here is a film which finally knows how to make you feel uneasy without being cheap with it's scares. Derrickson knows that the most terrifying thing is a human mind and the nasty tricks it plays on us.
For the faint at heart this film ain't. There are moments that will leave you covering in a state of shock. There are moments so frightening that even most hardened horror fan will be terrified. Sinister is in my opinion the one of the most frightening films ever made. Derrickson who is relatively young as a director knows how to do horror. You can forget Stanley Kubrick's The Shining or other horror classics like William Friedkin's The Exorcist or Roman Polanski's Repulsion, this is even more disturbing than those films. When it comes to staging a great horror sequene, Derrickson is totally in his own league.
What surprised me the most with this film was it's brave and extremely experimental use of sound desing. I have not quite heard anything like it before in cinemas. With original and fantastically grim use of effective sound design and Christopher Young's brooding score mixed seamlessly together with moody dark ambient by artist called Accurst, Sinister manages to be hallucinatory experience to sit through.
Eerie use of 8mm film creates also dreamlike atmosphere and makes this three times more authentic and therefore more frightening. There is also one extremely impressive and surreal moment which includes breathtaking use of slow motion at the final third of the film. You can tell that Derrickson himself is a innovative fan of horror from the way he is able to recycle familiar ideas turn them into something we have never experienced before. With great support from lenser Chris Norr, Derrickson makes Sinister as beautiful as it's horrifying to watch. Some of the most terrifying moments in this film are so unexpecetd that the effect is nothing short of heart-stopping.
I have said much about this film's masterful quality when it comes to make you scared, but that masterful quality can be seen in the work of brilliant lead actors also. There are not a single weak performance to be found in here. Ethan Hawke, one of the greatest underrated actors of our times, give us what must be his most complex and vulnerable performance to date, among with his terrific performance in D.J. Caruso's Taking Lives. His struggling writer, desperate in search of another successful book, is great acting at it's very best. Equally convincing is Juliet Rylance as his worried wife and Michael Hall D'Addario and Clare Foley as his children. Derrickson is capable to make this family feel very authentic and the horrors they face are even more horrible because we actually care for these characters. Here is a director who is as talented with his actors as he is with his ablility to make us scared in the audience.
Sinister is genuinely scary and in the end even cruel story about a one man's obsession which leads into something beyond terrifying. With Sinister Derrickson has become one of the most important new voices in the world of filmmaking.

Though fantastically shot, 'Sinister' still conforms to old haunted house tricks that feel old and cheep. The film only succeeds through its haunting imagery, choosing dark visuals in place of jumping shocks (though both are present). Requires the occasional eye shutting, but 'Sinister' never really stays with you once the credits roll.

Its not a good horror movie but my gosh its scary! The music adds this unusual tension and the pop-ups (you already expect) bring goosebumps. The Super 8 family footage scenes are not only creepy but disturbing as well. It feels original while the story suggests otherwise. In the end, Sinister is one of the most entertaining horror flicks of the year.