As far as horror goes this is almost as good as they come

Rating: 9/10 (27 March 2016)

What a massive difference having an effective looking ghost/ghoul/monster, whatever you want to call it, can make. 'Sinister' has one of, if not the single most, effective ones I've ever seen in a horror film. It is creepy to no end and it will effect you, I guarantee that. Then add in the fact that it's a very finely made film and you have horror at its absolute clinical best.
They used to say in reference to Michael Jordan, "Greatness is knowing exactly what someone's going to do, and still not being able to stop it." There were times in 'Sinister' where I knew a scare was coming, I even knew what the scare was going to be, and still it made me jump out of my skin, and I don't jump easily. Horror will always be a touch predictable, there are not enough tricks left in the book for it not to be. So for a film to have the ability to scare you despite you knowing what's coming is a very handy quality to have, and a sign of excellent filmmaking.
Ethan Hawke in the lead role does a fantastic job. I read that his reactions to the super 8 videos were genuine and I love that they did it this way. The whole cast in fact were superb, including the children. Genuinely creative and high-quality horror films are somewhat of a rarity today, so when a good one comes along it is always very much appreciated. There is already a sequel out which I look forward to checking out next. If it is to half the standard that this one was it will be a very fine film.