extremely well done - major spoiler

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2013)

Its really refreshing when a movie comes along that raises the bar. I've seen two horror movies this year that were really something special in the horror genre - The Conjuring and Sinister.
In Sinister, the sets, lighting and most especially music and sound effects really hits the viewer on all levels - conscious and unconscious. The background music is chaotic and rhythmic and you may not even notice how upset you're becoming with that in the background, nor the lighting and sets which are dark, dingy and depressing. I admit I had no idea what was coming and the first climax came when the main character (Ethan Hawke) has a skype conversation with a professor who explains about the demon. The second climax, if you will, comes near the end when the Sheriff's deputy calls him and explains why he shouldn't have moved.
I do feel that movies like this, which deal with the archetypal battle of Good vs. Evil, tend to be more frightetning and thought-provoking than a basic monster or slasher movie.
Another element of Sinister is how the children became the agents of evil. Hardly a day goes by that we don't hear something about children doing something horrible to someone. What is happening to our society? I'm not saying I agree with the premise of this movie, but it certainly give you something to think about.