Testifies that graphic violence is unnecessary to make a frightening ghost story.

Rating: Null/10 (19 November 2012)

When it comes to the underside of modern cinema, the horror genre frequently falls victim, plagued by uninspired remakes and tiresome clichés. For some time it's been apparent that fresh original ideas are not easy to come by and I'm among the many that misses being scared. I attended a theatrical showing of Sinister with soaring expectations, prepared to be frightened once again, and left almost two hours later more satisfied than I've been in a long time. This supernatural movie is easily the most impressive of it's kind in recent years. Exorcism of Emily Rose director Scott Derrickson has demonstrated an effective ability to convey horror and understands how powerful atmosphere and suspense can be. Let's hope that he'll continue to give us more.
True crime novelist Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) sees great potential for his accomplishment of a lifetime in an unsolved murder that has taken place in the house that he and his family have moved into. His only lead, a mysterious box of Super 8 footage of the murder that has taken place in his new home as well as several other cases of unsolved family murders abroad, found in the attic. Oswalt's findings deduce two aspects that make a connection with each murder. A disappearance of one child in each family and a demonic apparition that appears somewhere in each film. The malevolent phenomenon of the movie is the Pagan deity Buhguul, who subsists on the souls of vulnerable children and resides in a netherworld to which images serve as a gateway for him. Even though Buhguul is silent and makes brief appearances, his presence is felt and feared throughout the movie and he is sure to find his way into your nightmares for a long while to come. The possibility of solving the mystery is opened thanks to the advantage of modernized technology. As the investigation unfolds, eerily evocative happenings begin happening to Oswalt's family. Against forces beyond his comprehension, Oswalt becomes torn between his goal of uncovering the truth and the well being of his loved ones.
Ethan Hawke is very believable in portraying his role. You feel his determination to uncover the truth and how much his job means to him. As he becomes more detached from his family so do we as an audience. He emphasizes a potential that I hope won't remain obscured. Palpable tension builds as the climax draws ever closer and the intensity is amplified by haunting visuals and Christopher Young's spine-chilling soundtrack. The blend of Super 8 footage with traditional cinematography gives Sinister a gritty down-to-earth feel, taking the viewers along for the experience.
I've long grown accustomed to foreseeing and identifying film clichés and predictable outcomes, especially in the horror genre, but to my great surprise I found myself frightened on both a conscious and subconscious level. Graphic violence and explicit bloodshed are not needed to make a ghost story scary and Sinister deserves to be admired in this respect. What greater horror can exist than the evil that defies our comprehension? To all my fellow avid fans of the horror genre that have thought about giving Sinister a watch, surrender to your temptation because a refreshing treat awaits you!