Siniestro

A true crime writer picks the wrong murder mystery for his next book in "Sinister," a horror movie that balances the contemporary horror movie formula with mystery thriller elements and a solid leading performance.

Ethan Hawke plays Ellison Oswalt, a successful writer who has just moved his family to a town in Pennsylvania where a family was found hung from a tree in the backyard except for the third child, who was reported missing. Unbeknownst to the rest of his family, Ellison has moved them into the exact house where the family was killed. In the attic, he finds a box with an 8mm film projector and a handful of film reels, all of which show families being murdered, including the case he's investigating. Ellison realizes he's on to something big, but eventually things take a supernatural turn.

If the film weren't titled "Sinister" (a title that seems to have been subjectively chosen for marketing purposes) and you went in without knowing anything, you might actually convince yourself you were watching an eerie true crime thriller and be a bit surprised to watch the film take a contemporary horror flick turn equipped with creepy ghost children, freaky old movies and a pagan deity.

"Sinister" straddles these two genres without disappointing fans that wanted one over the other, but might disappoint fans that enjoy one but don't like the other at all. Director Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") uses classic suspense techniques and the creepy Super8 videos for that slow-building dread effect reminiscent of a more classic horror-thriller, while also employing the slow- walking-through-a-house-at-night-that-ends-in-a-jump-scare techniques of today's horror movies. The film predictably begins with more of the former and ends distinctly as the latter, and Derrickson oversees the passing of that baton and ensures it happens cohesively with strong, evocative visuals and an unusually creepy soundtrack.

C. Robert Cargill's story also allows these genres to function effectively together. Good horror movies show more interest and concern in the characters and how they deal with horrifying events than the horrifying events themselves. Cargill's script definitely focuses on Ellison, and the simple conceit of him being a writer who investigates murders puts him in a unique position among horror movie protagonists. Cargill adds the twist that Ellison has not had a best-seller in 10 years, so there's pressure on him to pursue this case in spite of the warning signs.

A strong lead character also appeals to a better caliber of actor, and Hawke lends so much legitimacy to this movie. Ellison is more accustomed to seeing disturbing things, so to watch Hawke's performance as this case gets more and more under his character's skin is a real added benefit. Hawke allows us to empathize with his character despite knowing full well that we would not have handled things the same way he does at various points in the film.

The ending has some issues along those lines and some information that seems obvious to the audience is not obvious to the characters, and that can be frustrating, but on the whole, "Sinister" leaves you with a jaw-dropper of an ending, a perfectly freaky culmination of all the classic suspense and minutes upon minutes of wondering when it's all going to blow up.

"Sinister" will more likely win over viewers who don't always like scary movies than it will avid scary movie watchers who love the genre precisely for its conventions and clichés, but it successfully reaches out to both.

~Steven C

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One of the scariest horror movies I have seen in a long time. I put off watching this one for a quite a while because when I first started it I noticed it had dim lighting which is a pet peeve of mine. Once I decided to watch it at a later date however, I realized that the cinematographer actually made very effective use of light/dark contrasts, highlighting what we need to see and using the dark spaces to create a cloistering atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia. The performances are also very good, especially the lead, although I feel as though they could have given us more background on the rest of the family. Also the ending isn't what I expected at all and I feel there could have been more action but it did fit in with the rest of this movie which can be quite slow at times, but you hardly notice because of the way this film draws you into it's world. The super 8 sequences were terrifying, they had me on the edge of my seat. In my opinion Sinister is probably one of the best horror films of this decade.

DON'T WATCH THE TRAILER! or at least try not too. I went into this film only knowing the title and the fact i was waiting for a scary movie to actually be... yep scary. Well i was in luck, as Sinister is exactly that...quite Sinister! I say try to avoid the trailers if u can because quite a lot is shown, although having said that you will probably be so absorbed into the film that you'll forget about what you have seen and still be spooked, BOO! :)

All the actors do a good job, Ethan Hawke is solid, not quite sure about the chemistry between him and his wife but i guess its hardly relevant in this film. The directing and editing of the film is slick with interesting angles and shots. The imagery is great and so are your jumpy moments even if it does contain a few of the horror Clichés.

The plot is simple and follows true-crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke) as he discovers a box of home movies "found footage" of murders that put his family in danger. Some people may dislike the believability of the films central ethos for the evil protagonist; however i liked the original mythology created here, it adds something new to the table. Also If the film is successful (im guessing it might be) the Evil Character aka Bagoul will no doubt be a new item for Halloween stores! Although not a game changer in the genre, i would easily go and say this will be the scariest film of the year and if not, well thats just win-win for us all!! ((star ratings = 7 good, 8 represents very good. 9 superb 10 epic)

This film is probably the scariest film I have ever seen. It bring everything that a good horror film should bring to the table. Jump scares, disturbing imagery, haunting music, etc. The use of the recorded murders is especially terrifying. The story never has a dull moment and provides many good twists along the way. The lack of music during the filmed murders is especially chilling. Ethan Hawke stands out as the protagonist and plays the role very well. The film is not perfect though. There are a few scenes that can come off as silly but still add to the progression of the story. I highly recommend this film and hope you enjoy as much as I did. I recommend watching it with friends and good luck sleeping.

Controversial crime writer Ellison Oswalt is willing to put his family life on the line when he begins researching his next book, several deaths that occured at their new home.

A very well made, very well acted, with a good storyline, Sinister is a quality production. If I'm honest, I find it a little frustrating, I love the opening sequences, and the elderly premise of the movie, the idea of that serial killer still out there is great. What I didn't care for, was the ending, once it switches into supernatural mode, it isn't as good.

I w always thought there are too many cutaway scenes, too much filler, which pads the movie out unnecessarily, but there are plenty of jump scares, plenty of scenes to keep you entertained.

Ethan Hawke is fantastic, there's nothing more I can say, and dare I say it, his acting skills probably elevate the film somewhat.

It's definitely a decent movie, it should have been a classic.

6/10.