By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I was looking forward to Sinister when I saw the previews. I meant to see it in the theater but it was in and out so quickly. As soon as it was released on DVD, I needed to see it. I’m happy to say that it was really quite good.
The movie follows true crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke) as he begins writing a new novel. The book is being written about a family who was murdered and hung from a tree. Only one child is thought to have survived, but disappeared immediately after the deaths. For atmosphere and to properly investigate Ellison moves into the house of the victims. He fails to tell his wife Tracy (Juliet Rylance) or children that they are living in the home where the crime occurred.
Ellison finds a box of home movies upstairs. He questions how it got there but begins watching them. To his horror it shows not only the murders of the individuals that lived in the house but other murders as well. In each video, there is an appearance of some sort of supernatural monster.
Strange things continue to occur and more evidence of crimes emerge in his attic. He enlists the help of a deputy (James Ransone) who looks up the other murders and finds out that in each one, a child is spared yet is never found.
The pace of the movie is terrific. Though it isn’t horrifying, there are a few creepy scenes and the suspense is terrific. I would have liked more detail as to what the monster, Mr. Boogie (Nicholas King) was, but we did receive a little insight into the history of him.
The conclusion was interesting and not easily predicted. The cheap scares were minimal and the plot was stirring. The acting was fantastic and believable. The casting was perfect, though my husband said he would have preferred Nicholas Cage in the starring role. I disagree.
Nonetheless, I would highly recommend this film to both horror fans and fans of great suspense.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7/10
