SINISTER (2012) ~ 10/10*s ~ an insta-classic from Blumhouse: surreal, edgy, nightmarish

Rating: 10/10 (13 September 2017)

Sinister
2012
Dir.: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Ethan Hawke, James Ransone
10 *s out of 10
This fairly low-budget horror is an insta-classic from Blumhouse Productions, and is a perfect example of how a straight, commercial, mainstream horror film should be executed these days; although, for as commercial as it is, it's actually quite surreal, edgy, and nightmarish, with this successful streak of "arthouse" running entirely throughout the picture, totally gelling with all the mainstream tendencies. The soundscore is especially noteworthy for being just about as creepy as they can possible come; furthermore, Ethan Hawke and the rest of cast are as convincing as can be, including the children who are (gratefully) not annoying and damn decent ... The clichés are pretty endless, but are supposed to be there, and they are played on with taste, nuance, balance, and a never-ending, unnerving sense of dread that doesn't ever slip away from the corners of the frames; at times the viewer feels as if the subject-matter has never even been approached before, although there's now been hundreds (maybe) of horror films of this general nature .. it feels that fresh, yes.
What I love here more than anything, and what I believe makes this a "real film" and not just a typical "B-horror", is the fact that the images, as well as the skin-curdling soundscore, tell the story, instead of the usual poor writing, poor dialogue, embarrassing twists, etc, that these types of films typically fall victim to .. Derrickson allows for the mise-en-scene to drive the film and deliver it home; nothing feels spoon-fed, contrived, including the last act, which is, like most of the film, brilliant because of what it doesn't say.
10 *s out of 10