A good horror film is an extremely rare commodity in modern film making, too many films in that genre elevate the blood and guts aspect but forget the suspense factor so the film loses the ability to incite a sense of fear in audiences. When Sinister was released in 2012 it broke that downward trend.
Sinister is an eerie, bewildering experience. A completely engrossing tale of demonic possession that will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s the story of an author’s search to recapture former success by attempting to uncover the mystery surrounding a reel of film footage which reveals the inhumane details of the demise of a small town family.
This spine tingling narrative is chilling and keeps you off balance. Sinister creates a good level of tension and anticipation, and is utterly engrossing as the events of the mystery that surrounds the family’s demise begin to unfold throughout the film. Each event becomes more horrific and sadistic in nature, raising the tension and forcing one to cling to the screen for the next event to unfold.
Ethan Hawke delivers yet another solid performance. He carries the bulk of the acting through body language and facial gestures, which force the audience to partake in his characters fear - as he is shocked and horrified, so are we. Hawke makes Sinister work in ways that extend beyond what the eerie music or deranged scenes. The rest of the cast, which include Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thomas, James Ransone, Claire Foley, and Michael Hall D’Addario, all make decent but modest contributions.
The cinematography is very complimentary to the story, with the director making good use of lights and darks to establish the mood. In addition, the movie’s extremely eerie theme is reinforced through the use of the camera. Between the real time framework of the film and the film flashes, Sinister keeps you on edge and never comes at you how you may expect it to, keeping you off balance throughout.
Sinister is oozing with great suspense, and includes a brilliant climax. There aren’t many horror films that have been released in the last decade that fall into the must see category, but this is one. If you're a fan of the horror genre and don't already own this movie, then it would make a great addition to your home library.
Da’Mon is a writer and artist, a graduate of Coppin State University and an avid, life-long lover of film. Da'Mon has been actively writing movie reviews since 2011. Check out more of his work at Examiner.com, where he has published over 400 reviews. Visit his Blog and follow him on Twitter.
