As my previous post says, this week I decided I wanted to be scared. So, I went and saw a movie in which the title says it all- Sinister.
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photo courtesy of imdb.com |
In case you missed the last post, Sinister follows washed-up writer Ellison Oswalt as he tries to reclaim his 15 minutes of fame. Ellison made his mark on history as a true crime writer. Unfortunately his career is careening into “one hit wonder” territory since all of his books since the bestseller have flopped- hard. In a last ditch attempt at re-found fame, Ellison packs up his family, drags them out of their huge gorgeous house, and drops them into a smaller house where a family murder took place only months before. Oh, and he forgets to mention the fact that the previous family was hung in the backyard to his wife. Sounds like a winner.
Since the Oswalt’s new home is in a small town still upset over the murders and disappearance of the families youngest daughter, and Ellison is known as a crime writer, they are obviously not wanted, and the sheriff has no problem letting them know.
While Ellison and his wife and two kids are unpacking he finds a solitary box in the attic. In the box are what looks like old family video’s on old film and an old projector. Assuming these are from the previous family, and may help him with research, Ellison tacks a white sheet on the wall for a screen and starts running the old projector. After a few minutes Ellison realizes that these aren’t your typical family videos, and that they are all from different families- being murdered. That’s when the real fun begins. Things start getting freaky in the Oswalt household, and for a while Ellison is the only one who sees it.
Going into the theater for Sinister I was a little nervous. From the preview, its obvious that Sinister is a demon movie. Whether or not some form of possession would occur was still up for debate. I’ve given demon/possession movies a try, and mostly have ended up disappointed. If not done right, demonic movies can come off as a little comical. Thankfully, I was defiantly not disappointed. Sinister pulled it off, surpassing any of the other recent horror movies I’ve seen.
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photo courtesy of imdb.com |
One of the first things Sinister had going for it was that its not your typical horror movie line-up. There is no group of frisky teenagers, or young twenty-somethings. Instead, the main focus is on a family. A mother, father, middle school age son, and elementary school daughter. Secondly, the lead actor actually has a pretty impressive resume of movies. Ethan Hawke, who plays Ellison, has shown his acting chops in films like Training Day and Hamlet, Although he has not come out with anything really memorable recently, his work speaks for himself. Granted, other movies have tried that approach and still failed (Jennifer Lawrence and House At The End Of The Street, anyone?).
In Sinister, Hawke proves he’s still got it. Most of the movie revolves around Ellison, and Hawke had to be able to successfully carry the movie. He did, with style. The other, supporting actors did a good job too, making the movie all-around well acted. I’m always interested to see how children do acting in horror movies, and the two main kids in Sinister, Clare Foley and Michael Hall, D’Addario, held their own as Ashley and Trevor. D’Addario even gave me chills during a few scenes in which his character had night terrors and ended up in crazy situations in the middle of the night.
Another thing Sinister had going for it is a little humor to keep things going. Although the sheriff certainly wants Ellison gone, his deputy has a different idea with the writer’s arrival. The deputy (James Ransone), who is never given a real name, is an Ellison fan, and has duly noted that in his books, Ellison always gives thanks where it's due. the deputy wants his name to be the one given thanks, and offers his services. What makes these interactions appealing and funny is how awkward the deputy is. He is bumbling and not the brightest, but eager to help and be acknowledged. It brings a little light to the movie.
In the end, out of all the good aspects of Sinister, what I liked the most is that it made me jump. Sinister had scenes where the suspense was built up so well that I was literally grabbing my friend’s arm and jumping out of my seat. It was creepy, plain and simple, and I loved it. The fact that it has a killer twist ending doesn’t hurt it either.
Since I am reviewing Sinister, the good and the bad, I guess I should air my one grievance before I wrap things up. The character of Ellison’s wife Tracy botherer me just a little. The actress, Juliet Rylance did a good job, but the characterization was what got to me. Tracy was hopelessly devoted to Ellison. She just seemed to drop everything and kneel at his feet. There’s nothing wrong with being a devoted wife, but after all the bull Ellison pulls in the movie (and what seems like the events leading up to it) I would’ve expected her to be a little more disillusioned. She did speak up a few times, but to me it just seemed she would pack up the kids and follow him to the ends of the earth. I guess me being a bit of a feminist makes me think about things like this.
Besides that, as I said and will say again, I loved Sinister. If you are looking for a good scare get your butt to the theater to see Sinister. It’s suspenseful, well written, and not overly gory. Overall, its a winner.
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