Perhaps mistitled, but still effective...

Rating: 7/10 (18 April 2013)

...this third full-length outing from writer/director Scott "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" Derrickson squeezes great value out of its relatively minuscule budget (and was certainly a success at the box office, earning more than fifteen times its production costs!), thanks to a relatively tight script, solid ensemble acting (including fine work by Ethan "Tape" Hawke---ignore the naysayers), effective sound design and equally effective cinematography by Chris "Trumbo" Norr. I won't belabor the plot---others have done that already---but if you let yourself go with the flow, the ride is satisfyingly creepy. "Sinister" isn't really a scare-fest; there aren't a whole lot of "Boo!" moments, but it accomplishes its goal of unsettling you, and leaves you with a distinct interest in a sequel, if only to find out if anyone can deal with "Mr. Boogie."
I caught this for free, thanks to my public library, but I think if I'd sprung for it in the theater, I wouldn't have felt ripped off. Despite his having been saddled with the disappointing remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still," Derrickson bounced back nicely with this one, and I look forward to his future endeavors, particularly his remake of "Poltergeist" and an adaptation of George Alec Effinger's cyberpunk novel, "When Gravity Fails."
This Derrickson guy is a director to keep an eye on; I predict great things for him in the future.