Yes. Yes, it is.

Rating: 8/10 (1 November 2012)

Ellison(Hawke, in a great performance, really capturing his increasing obsession; a flawed, yet ultimately sympathetic lead, who makes mistakes we can understand) is an author of true crime novels, and he moves to a house(and the dynamics and relationships between him and his wife and their two kids(who are capable actors... everyone in this is)... a good balance is struck between cute and dysfunctional) where a family was killed and the daughter went missing to research a new one. In the attic, he finds several Super 8 reels, and as he watches them, he finds that they feature increasingly stalkery shots of families - at first quaint and sweet, then warping into snuff films of them being murdered(one of numerous examples in this of the comfortable and innocent being perverted into something deeply disturbing and haunting... you won't be able to sleep after seeing this), the fact that he continues putting them on dealing with the theme of voyeurism - his, and ours, as we remain in the theatre seats, in spite of what we see. This is extremely effective. Even when you can see it coming, or when it's occasionally a jumpscare, the scares work. It's immensely atmospheric, gradually building(worth your patience) throughout this, until its unforgettable climax. I found it reminiscent of 80's John Carpenter... my friend compared it to Prince of Darkness, which I agree with completely. The mercilessly dark lighting(even when they're having breakfast... they do mention still owning the old house, I guess they want to save money on electricity), the intricately done sound design(creaky floor-boards, tree branches, etc.), the isolation and claustrophobia brought on by the whole thing taking place in this one house(the first thing you see is them moving into it), never leaving it - all of it results in an eerie mood, with the many creepy sights and sounds terrifying you. The humor brings much needed relief, being natural and coming out of real situations. Fred Thompson is his brand of awesome as the sheriff. Every character is credible, even though some of them at first seem like they'll be a pointless stereotype. Dialog is fine, if exposition is sometimes delivered with all the subtlety of a hammer. This doesn't avoid every expected cliché, however, it offers enough to make up for it. There is a bit of brutal, bloody violence(not all of it graphic, but always sickening imagery) and a little moderate to strong language in this. I highly recommend this to any fan of horror - this is a very positive detour from the modern downfall of the genre. 8/10