The horror genre has taught us many things: don’t piss off rednecks; don’t read satanic texts aloud; shoot zombies in the head; and never, ever move into a house where a family was massacred. Obviously, Sinister’s Ethan Hawke has never seen a horror film
Ellison Oswald (Hawke) is a true crime writer desperate to reach the same heights of success he reached with a novel he wrote 10 years ago. In a bid to strike gold and expose even more mistakes made by police officials, Ellison moves his family out to a small town where a shocking murder still haunts the local population. Unbeknownst to his nearest and dearest, Ellison has moved himself, his wife and his two kids into the actual house where the grisly killings took place.
Upon discovering some mysterious home movie footage stored in the otherwise abandoned attic, Ellison begins to unravel an eerie story of sacrifice and multiple murder. As the project spirals out of control, Ellison realises that in order to keep him and his family safe, he must abandon the project and flee the crime scene. But, it might already be too late
Mixing found-footage frights with out-of-your-skin scares, Scott Derrickson’s jumpy tale of creepy houses and masked bogymen doesn’t exactly rewrite the horror book, but it does provide some slick shocks that make for perfect Friday night thrills.
The whole thing feels incredibly familiar and the unfolding story is largely absurd, but The Exorcism of Emily Rose director is back on track after the dull and dreary The Day the Earth Stood Still, and at least two balls-in-the-throat moments keep the heart pounding to Sinister’s bitter end.
Overall Verdict: A jumpy Friday night shocker that’s guaranteed to send the popcorn flying.
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths