Sinister
4/4
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Fred Dalton Thompson, Michael Hall D'Addario, Clare Foley
Rated R for Disturbing Violent Images and Some Terror
When I settled into my seat to watch "Sinister," I was hoping for a few spooky thrills and a cool ghost story. What I got was the most frightening ghost story I have ever seen, and one of the scariest movies I have ever watched.
Ellison Oswalt (Hawke) has just moved his family into a new house to work on a new crime story. His books are literary adaptations of unsolved crime cases, and his new book is about the murder of a family who were hung from a tree, and one of the children was never found. Shortly after the move, Ellison finds a series of Super 8 films that turn out to be videos of similar crimes. That's when strange things start happening at night.
Ever seen a picture where the subject seems to be looking directly into you? I remember seeing the box of the board game "The Game of LIFE," and seeing all four of the family members smiling at the camera. They seemed to be looking directly at me. Even when I tilted the box, their eyes followed me. It's an uncomfortable feeling, and that discomfort is at the heart of "Sinister." Director Scott Derrickson is able to capture this in his film with a monster that appears to have been tailor-made for this effect, and it's what gives this film its bone-chilling punch.
The acting is good all around. Ethan Hawke is a good everyman. He's a little obsessed, even to the point of doing some unsavory things for the sake of his book. We identify with him. Juliet Rylance is good as his supportive but frustrated wife. James Ransome is perfectly lovable as the shy, self-deprecating Deputy So-and-So. He's humbled and blushing in the face of a celebrity like Ellison. The two child actors, Michael Hall D'Addario and Clare Foley are solid as well. Fred Dalton Thompson appears for a few scenes as a cop, but he doesn't have much to do.
This film takes atmosphere to a level never before seen, which helps since the script is a little underwritten. The cinematography by Chris Norr is bleak and threatening, and the score by Christopher Young is intense. Never before has ambient music been so scary. These two things, together with Derrickson's superb direction (the film contains some truly amazing jump scenes), makes this film a uniquely terrifying experience. This isn't suspense scary like "Insidious" or your better-than-average slasher movie. This is true spine-tingling horror.
This is one of those movies you have to see with friends. You need someone's hand to squeeze while you're watching it. I wish I did. When the end credits started to roll, I ran for the exit, praying I'd make it to the lighted hallway of the movie theater.
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Fred Dalton Thompson, Michael Hall D'Addario, Clare Foley
Rated R for Disturbing Violent Images and Some Terror
When I settled into my seat to watch "Sinister," I was hoping for a few spooky thrills and a cool ghost story. What I got was the most frightening ghost story I have ever seen, and one of the scariest movies I have ever watched.
Ellison Oswalt (Hawke) has just moved his family into a new house to work on a new crime story. His books are literary adaptations of unsolved crime cases, and his new book is about the murder of a family who were hung from a tree, and one of the children was never found. Shortly after the move, Ellison finds a series of Super 8 films that turn out to be videos of similar crimes. That's when strange things start happening at night.
Ever seen a picture where the subject seems to be looking directly into you? I remember seeing the box of the board game "The Game of LIFE," and seeing all four of the family members smiling at the camera. They seemed to be looking directly at me. Even when I tilted the box, their eyes followed me. It's an uncomfortable feeling, and that discomfort is at the heart of "Sinister." Director Scott Derrickson is able to capture this in his film with a monster that appears to have been tailor-made for this effect, and it's what gives this film its bone-chilling punch.
The acting is good all around. Ethan Hawke is a good everyman. He's a little obsessed, even to the point of doing some unsavory things for the sake of his book. We identify with him. Juliet Rylance is good as his supportive but frustrated wife. James Ransome is perfectly lovable as the shy, self-deprecating Deputy So-and-So. He's humbled and blushing in the face of a celebrity like Ellison. The two child actors, Michael Hall D'Addario and Clare Foley are solid as well. Fred Dalton Thompson appears for a few scenes as a cop, but he doesn't have much to do.
This film takes atmosphere to a level never before seen, which helps since the script is a little underwritten. The cinematography by Chris Norr is bleak and threatening, and the score by Christopher Young is intense. Never before has ambient music been so scary. These two things, together with Derrickson's superb direction (the film contains some truly amazing jump scenes), makes this film a uniquely terrifying experience. This isn't suspense scary like "Insidious" or your better-than-average slasher movie. This is true spine-tingling horror.
This is one of those movies you have to see with friends. You need someone's hand to squeeze while you're watching it. I wish I did. When the end credits started to roll, I ran for the exit, praying I'd make it to the lighted hallway of the movie theater.
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