Sinister depicts the haunting of a family by a supernatural entity after protagonist Ellison Oswalt, (Ethan Hawke), discovers reels of footage depicting brutal murders. Hawke plays a true-crime novelist who, after hearing of a multiple unsolved murder, decides to move with his family near to the crime-scene, hoping this slaughter can form the basis of a thriller. However, after he watches some footage he finds in the attic and sees a figure with a demonic face in a drowning scene; all hell breaks loose.
Reading the above synopsis, one might think Sinister is just going to be like any other horror-movie of the last decade or so, (an impression hardly removed by the frankly typical jump-scare trailer). Yet, although director Scott Derrickson uses loud noises as a scare-tactic, he complements these by employing unexpected camera angles and peculiar images, which more effectively plant the horror in the viewer’s mind. Unlike in other movies in this genre, Derrickson allows the viewer to build up an emotional connection with the protagonist as the horror is revealed to us at the same time as Ellison.
Unfortunately, the other characters come across as merely serviceable and this, in addition to a weak script, really let the film down. However, if you’re looking for a movie that will have you visibly trembling in the cinema this really is a must see.