Will make you twitch out of nervousness all the way home

Rating: 10/10 (12 April 2015)

I consider myself a bit of an artist, being a person that draws and writes. I also consider art to be a very Important thing, one of the most important elements of human existence and whenever I hear about museums being pillaged or art being destroyed In thefts, it breaks my heart. I've often said that my art is the most important part of myself and that there's nothing anyone could do to prevent me from being a creative person. "Sinister" makes me reconsider. This movie really struck a cord with me. True-crime writer Ellison (Ethan Hawke) is all washed up. He had a big break some years ago, made a lot of money and became famous, but his subsequent works have not been nearly as critically acclaimed or impactful. When he and his family move into a new house, he discovers a box of horrifying home movies that offer ripe material for his next book, but also puts everyone in danger.
"Sinister" takes the time to show not only why, but how obsession can overcome reason. The characters are well drawn and believable, the performances are good and it does an excellent job of consistently filling you the feeling of dread you get when you know something bad is going to happen. It uses simple, but effective scares to get your heart beating and rarely results to jump scares so you'll be frightened by atmosphere, not surprises. It's a disturbing, very frightening horror film just in time for Halloween that's going to please audiences. (Theatrical version, October 30, 2012)