This confined horror thriller is just plain creepy

Rating: 6/10 (13 September 2014)

I heard of Sinister before I saw it. I had not heard much. I knew it was another horror movie starting Ethan Hawke. It got bigger on my radar when people started to put it in there top ten lists of horror movies of the 2010's. Then the word came out that the director Scott Derrickson was hired for Marvel's Doctor Strange. I was interested in his work so I did catch before this his big Hollywood horror film Deliver Us From Evil. And now after seeing Sinister I definitely think he's a nice choice for Doctor Strange.
Sinister is a small confined film about a writer (Ethan Hawke) who moves his family to a house in order to write his new crime novel. He's not popular with the police and stuck in a bit of a rut. When strange occurrences start happening he realizes that he might be in over his head. This is one of those films that has to been seen totally cold. The film unfolds itself for the audience and the characters at the same time.
The film is mostly contained to this house. All the characters and side characters converge here. Which makes the film feel a bit claustrophobic. The tension is built well, with a few jump scares that pay off. It's not a false scare of a red herring. When the story eventually plays out, everyone is hit with a proverbial brick to the face. The horror elements aren't shown in graphic details. This help the thrill of the film making you imagine the brutally. Even the film opening scene will get under my skin. There is a bit of a twist at the end. But it comes at a point where things just might develop. I was knocked me off my guard.
Ethan Hawke is usually a hit or miss for me. But he does the down on his life writer well. The family around him aren't giving much to do. They help convey the story well. I was sucked into the story wanting to know what happened next. Derrickson knows his horror. There are inventive shots. He has a nice style on display. The movie moves at a pace that keeps the story from not getting too boring. When it starts to slow, there is a moment where something small will happen just to get the mind racing.
I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I'm not easily scared. The jump scares do nothing for me. But not being able to see the brutal horror filled my mind with thoughts of unease. The film spreads dread from opening to end credits. That's something you don't get very often. It sat with me for hours after the film was over. It didn't help that I had watched The Conjuring hours beforehand. A small creepy film great for a late night viewings is what Sinister is.