The Horror (And Problem) of SINISTER

I just watched this movie and it’s absolute trash. terrible acting, poorly delivered lines, cheap jump scares and cliches. The kids just looked like trick or treaters. Should be in the comedy genre. The main evil guy looks like he plays in slipknot. Pathetic

This movie is so unbelievably boring to sit through

We also want to know tye answer" no im sorry if i was him and saw a collection of videos of families getting murdered especially if i saw a slipknots guitarist in all of them id say it looks like none of my damn buisness

Several things not making sense in this movie. One of which is the hanging. That branch getting cut surely is not heavier than two adults and two chrildren. The acting of the chrildren on the special cut ending likewise are quite lame. The ghost effects with the chrildren are also cringey

It's scary because some part of you (although probably not consciously) realises that you're associating horror and disturbance with everyday activities and family life.

The dead kids running around with horrible makeup in slow motion really cheapened the horror in this film. It really didn’t fit in with the rest of the vibe.

I’m still unimpressed. The movie had enough holes to drive a convoy of 18-wheelers through it.

I still watch the first one still have a soft spot for it loved the second as well when it first came out but after watching it one or two more times they rele blew it on what could a been a good trilogy or like insidious or conjuring

I still watch the first one still have a soft spot for it loved the second as well when it first came out but after watching it one or two more times they rele blew it on what could a been a good trilogy or like insidious or conjuring

I loved scary films as a kid but something about sinister really spooked me personally, watched it age 13. To this day I still see the boogeyman’s face all the time in things like shadows or the way material folds sometimes etc. it’s like the movie permanently altered my brain to look for patterns that resemble its’ face 😂. The weeping angels from doctor who also had a similar effect on me. Great stuff.

Morbius

I normally agree with alot of reviews, but I have to disagree Abita here. I rather enjoyed the supernatural transformation from real sense horror. I thought it was done as well as it possibly could've been. And I actually applaud it's... "testicular fortitude" for just going for it. Did it perfectly stick the landing no,but it definitely didn't stumble

Another genius thing about this movie is that it does the same thing that The Ring does, but in a far more effective and, this time, fool proof way. With The Ring, the video tape is cursed and most people probably watched that movie on a video tape when it came out. But with Bughuul, every image of him is cursed. And you don't know how much time you have.

That writers nightmare thing is so real and so deep!!!! Real ones know

I literally live off of this shit. Horror is my fav genre and besides music weed and my girl it is my favorite thing. Every single day. Since I was born.

I love horror and this film was amazing. I love you all.

Well that's disappointing. Thought you would spoil the ending. Personally, I'd rather have an unsatisfying answer than no answer at all

I just realized the boogeyman moved on your screen

I disagree with some parts of the analysis. Yes, Sinister is flawed and relies on cliches a lot more than necessary--particularly when it comes to loud noises and jump-cut jumpscares. However, if the film had gone back on this world it created and said "no, actually, this isn't supernatural at all. This is all in Ellison's head" I would have HATED it. Maybe it's because this is one of the first lessons I ever learned about writing, but you can never, never ever promise something to your readers/viewers and then back out on it. If we spend a whole story exploring this world you've created for us--whether it be a horror dimension or a lovely fantasy-scape--revealing everything to have been a dream/hallucination is unfulfilling and lazy. Yes, it works as a kid for things like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Wizard of Oz, but that's because those stories are primarily about encouraging imagination. Turning a mature story like this into nothing more than hallucination removes the threat of anything happening and reduces the film to allegory rather than genuine horror.

I admire everything you saw in Allison's character, though I personally can't agree. I can see what you're saying, but I personally thought the movie's presentation of his character needed a lot of work. That's just me though. You explained the parts of the movie I liked really well, but also why it just didn't really work for me. The characters just really didn't do it for me, neither did the twist. I wish the creepy home videos themselves were more focused on overall.

That opening speech was chilling.

Sinister is a very interesting film not just because of the plot which is to this day imo a great concept but its interesting because its so wildly inconsistent in its quality. The first half is incredible and deeply unsettling but the 2nd half of the film is terrible with horrible boring generic jumpscares, its a real shame. If the 2nd half was as good as the 1st it would have been a modern day classic

Its soundtrack however is absolutely bonechilling and one of the best

The first sinister had potential, but ultimately it was another Blumhouse snore fest. Relying far too heavily on cheap jump scares, predictable and cringe worthy tropes involving creepy little children and far too much time involving a guy creeping around his house that’s too stupid to know how a light switch works. You’d think that after 3 or 4 times of the same thing happening the dude would just wake up and hit the fucking light switch.

The film also felt like it was played way too safe involving the gore and violence. It could borderline be rated PG13. Every jump scare was predictable. The stupid creepy dead children trope was lame. The whole “family moves into a new house, disturbing shit happens, man turns to alcohol to cope” trope is so tired. This whole film was very mediocre, and I certainly wouldn’t waste time watching the sequel. Can’t believe people rate this as one of the best horror movies of all time, or one of the scariest.

The first one is great the family death's are grizzly the second one drops the ball the ending and the mystery in the first movie was perfect I can guarantee you nobody saw it coming there was no need for a second in my opinion

Ah, Sinister... I thought it had one of the best build-ups of any horror movie I've ever seen. The disturbing found footage clips, the descent into madness of the protagonist, and the repeated showing the clip with the family hanging in the tree. I was terrified. Too bad it turned from "disturbed serial killer" to "possessed ghost children" so quickly. Felt like such a lame ending for an otherwise horrific story. I always thought the movie would've been 10/10 if it ended with the family being hung in the tree by the killer, going full circle.

Sinister was a good movie but the last Jumpscare was kinda mid

They need to do a prequel about that demon mf

I watched "Sinister" last night. Mostly because Michael D'addario from The Lemon Twigs played Ethan Hawke's son. But I thought the movie was great!

It being supernatural was a cop out and lazy

When you think about it, Sinister is way more intense than most horror films because usually you have one person in danger and maybe their friends as well and sometimes their family which always makes it scarier. This movie takes that concept and really drives it home by showing family after family being brutally murdered. It's merciless.

The fact that the evil entity in question was never fought and defeated really made the movie suck for me personally.

To what extent was the climax foreshadowed? I would have never thought that it’s the smallest child committing the murders ..

I just watched it, and yeah the Supernatural jumpscare element was not really needed.

The found footage scenes were very creepy and shocking on their own, and tbh the best use of found footage ever in a horror movie.

If they wanted to have a supernatural element, maybe it would’ve been better as a twist at the end. 

Like for example the movie could’ve been a psychological movie with not knowing if Ethan Hawk’s character is just seeing things because of stress, or there is something supernatural going on.

But this is why I’m not a fan of paranormal jumpscare movies, they are not scary, they are just annoying loud noises.

As for the movie I liked it, but it didn’t need the jumpscare paranormal stuff.

I liked the movie but there were a lot of issues that pissed me off watching it. There's no way that small children could commit these crimes while the family just sits there and stares at them. Hell, they weren't even strong enough to do them.

I was frightened by the videos and mood of the film until the SECOND we found it was a effing renaissance demon called BAGUL 🤮🤮🤮 I have never been de-scared so fast in my life

imagine if this were made under a24 instead of blumhouse

Just watched this the other night for the first time and I 110% agree with you! Once they named the issue it wasn't scary anymore and felt cheated from the suspense that was built up in the 1st half.

I've heard one time that the jumpscares in this movie are precisely to make the movie less scary

I guess that's what makes me different from most people. I don't live in the delusion of, "That'll never happen to me/my family!" and instead, I live in constant anxiety that it can happen to me/my family, and I often worry it's not an 'if,' but a 'when.'
Anxiety disorders suck.

The film would have been so much better if the last few minutes had been cut, and instead it had ended immediately after the phone call with the deputy, with a shot of the protagonist looking at his daughter and having the “oh fuck” realisation that she was going to kill him and his family, and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. Let the audience imagine what horrible fate befell them instead of showing it.

This was another one of those horrors where I was intrigued and then the ending made me hate it.

finally watched this and man it had so much going for it and almost ruins it all halfway through. the mystery and videos he watches are all really compelling and genuinely creepy, but then the supernatural possession stuff is so run of the mill and corny. such a shame because there is so much here that is really memorable but felt like they wanted to make it accessible and crowd-pleasing enough to pull in an audience.

Agree

Pretty mid, which was upsetting considering the praise it has. First half was solid.

Ethan Hawke is the man. Gotta be one of the best film actors of this generation.

Truly to that day, this was a really solid, disturbing and a thematically well done movie which is very rare to see in horror movies but my problem with the movie is the same as yours in how it is very unconfident in its approach to its story and disturbing elements that it tries to hammer you in the head with these too many cheap, unneeded jumpscares. The subtle, disturbing elements and the character study of this movie made me think it was a different kind of horror but these jumpscares kinda disappointed me.

It had a lot of potential...

He has a lot of courage to be sitting there with sinister picture right behind him