A horror time capsule for 2012

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2012)

Last film watched: Sinister - 6/10. This movie is basically a time capsule for what is popular in horror films in 2012. So we have a family moving into a new house (every horror of the last five years), creepy children (the ring, insidious) some kind of ancient demon, (PA, Insidious) nothing happening during the day but at night the atmosphere builds from one jump to the next (PA again) and of course (slight spoiler) a twist ending (sixth sense). Ethan Hawke is pretty good in the main role, nothing else to note about the rest of the acting though. All the other characters are horror clichés too: the world weary sheriff, the lovable, helpful deputy (scream), the uptight wife (Amityville horror, loads of others), rebellious kids. It all just feels copied and pasted from everything else. The thing that almost saves it is the ending. Coming out of nowhere the nightmarish conclusion feels like something more out of a Japanese horror which is obviously a great thing. If they could have made the rest of the movie as mental, ballsy and original as the ending they would have been onto something.