Another ghost story that rises before it falls

Rating: 6/10 (16 August 2013)

People going to see Sinister are most likely doing so because they are fans of the genre, and have likely seen dozens of such films. Sinister's greatest trick is that for a while, it convinces you that you have NOT seen this kind of movie before. It will have you hooked from the first shot, and for about an hour, Sinister is just as suspenseful as it is intriguing. Unfortunately, like so many movies do, the final act falls short.
Sinister runs out of steam in the last half hour. The ending is a problem, for not only does it come with a sense of anti-climax, but it is almost absurd enough to pass for genre parody. It leaves behind an abundance of red herrings, and you come away feeling a little bit cheated.
Another problem with Sinister is that it sweeps two or three potentially interesting sub-plots under the rug; something that would have given the movie more interesting characters. There is a sense that too much story material was left behind in order to make this a more direct and unfaltering ghost story.
Perhaps more than any other genre, horror movies demand very manipulative interior cinematography, and Sinister doesn't seem like it was lit properly. Even for a horror movie, the shadows are surprising heavy and overwhelming, and there are moments when it is too dark to see anything. This is not a complaint I make frequently about movies. More impressive in Sinister, is the sound design. which is full of subtle contributions. I cannot remember the last time I was spooked by the sound of a film projector's motor and claw.
I wish I could recommend Sinister, but I cannot. Even if it is a scary movie, it is one that initially appears to be smarter and more original than it actually is.