Besides being full of cheap jump scares, Sinister manages to cook up an interesting story, but with an ending that sadly falls too flat and goes on a little longer than it should. However, if you don’t over analyze the story, you’ll be treated to some spooky scenes, that will more often than not, raise the hair on your arms. If you’d like to know more about whether or not you should give this one a spin, read on…
Short nitty-gritty plot description from IMDb is as follows: A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm “snuff” films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s.
I don’t have a huge problem with jump scares, but I do agree they are cheap and most modern horror films utilize them to an annoying degree. For the better part of the first half of Sinister, the jump scares are minimal. Instead, the movie builds up the story and tension slowly. The home movies that Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) finds in the attic are creepy and disturbing and when combined with a truly haunting soundtrack by Christopher Young, Sinister is one film that might force you to change your pants after watching. However, Sinister starts to unravel in the second half of the movie, with an abundance of cheap tricks and loud noises to make you scared. I’ll admit, this movie got me pretty good a few times and even jolted our dog up out of a dead sleep. Still, I’m always more partial to quiet, barely seen apparitions, than something that is jumping out in your face, so if you’re the same as me, you might not enjoy the second half of Sinister as much.
Another problem we have with Sinister, is the ending, with our main character figuring out things way too slowly and when he eventually does, he doesn’t do anything about it. Also, I figured out what was going to happen way before the characters in the film did, which is not something you want to happen in your movie. This hurts the film, as you feel like you’re waiting for everyone else to play catch up. Finally, some trimming needs to be done on those last few frames, as I feel like way too much is revealed in the end and we didn’t necessarily need to see everything we did (trying my best not spoil anything here).
Sorry for such a short review, but not much can said for Sinister. It’s not necessarily a paint by the numbers horror film, but it also isn’t the best thing since gruesomely sliced bread. The story for the most part is interesting, albeit flawed if thought about too much. On the other hand, the music is phenomenal. I say, if you’re in the mood for some scary fun and don’t mind a little flaws in what you’re watching, Sinister fits the bill perfectly. Just watch out for those loud heart stopping moments, known as the cheap jump scare.
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