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Sinister
2012 110 min Canada, United States of America R 18+
★6.6
Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Director: Scott Derrickson
Trailers
Description
True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
Budget:
$3M
US Gross:
$48.09M
Worldwide:
$82.52M
Starring
Ethan Hawke
Actor
Juliet Rylance
Actor
James Ransone
Actor
Awards
3 wins & 14 nominations total
Key opinion
Sinister is a polarizing horror film that leans heavily on established genre tropes and a 'haunted house' premise. While some viewers find its atmosphere and sound design genuinely unsettling, others criticize its predictability and reliance on derivative horror clichés.
| Score | The film utilizes an atmospheric and haunting sound design that many find more effective at creating dread than the visual elements themselves. | |
| Originality | The premise of a family moving into a house with a dark history is frequently criticized as a recycled and unoriginal genre cliché. | |
| Acting | Ethan Hawke's central performance is widely regarded as a strong anchor that carries the film's narrative weight. | |
| Ending | The effectiveness of the film's ending is highly debated, with some praising its logical conclusion and others dismissing it as predictable or logically inconsistent. | |
| Pacing | Viewer engagement with the film's pacing varies, with some finding the investigative tension compelling and others describing the domestic scenes as tedious and slow. |