Geekscape Movie Reviews: Sinister
October is here and that means that it’s time for horror movies to hit theaters. While there will be plenty of movies to see, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill’s Sinister may actually be one you want to check out. Sinister is by no means a revolutionary horror flick, but it’s definitely a solid and well made movie as well a slight breath of fresh air in the horror genre which has become generic and stale these days.
Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) is a true crime writer who has had one big hit book that was followed by two subsequent failures. He moves his family into the house of a murdered family to research his latest book, and of course being that it’s a horror movie, some not-so-normal events begin to occup as he discovers the true details behind the crime. Oswald discovers an old box of 8mm film in the loft, but there’s more to these films than we know.
Sinister actually kind of takes a new twist on the now overly played out found-footage device that has become popular among horror flicks. But rather than follow the same formula, Derrickson and co-writer Cargill mix it into a classic thriller style flick to scare you in unexpected ways. Rather than attempt to scare you with visuals they favor a more bump-in-the-night style approach. The scariest things about Sinister are not what see you but rather what you don’t actually see. Well, minus that creepy as fuck opening sequence.
The highlight of this movie is Ethan Hawke’s fantastic performance which will be the only one you remember. And even though his character is constantly putting his family in danger you remain sympathetic in spite of it. The rest of the cast is pretty forgettable and the chemistry between Hawke and Juliet Rylance, who plays Oswald’s wife, just isn’t there on her side. It’s good to see Hawke in more films because his performances are usually really enjoyable. Yes, even in Daybreakers.
Scott Derrickson does a fantastic job directing on this film. The movie doesn’t feel cramped, while we never actually leave a handful of rooms. The first half of Sinister is kind of takes it slow in order for us to get more familiar with Ellison and really grasp on to what he’s uncovering. But the lingering and creepy feelings do end up delivering with real scares and action in the second half of the film. The film does have it’s share of stupid moments that may make you scratch your head for a moment. But when it comes down to it, honestly, what horror movie doesn’t?
Sinister is by no means a big game changer and it doesn’t try to be. However, it is definitely a chilling and compelling date night flick and definitely possesses the same entertainment value as any of the big budget competition in the genre. This movie is sure to make it on to many peoples guilty pleasure lists.
Rating: 3.5/5
