Review of Sinister 2 (2015) by Orlando O — 13 Jan 2016

The thing about horror movies, once the first film made a creepy haunting atmosphere and made a good impression on it. The sequels are sometimes a letdown, when it comes to Sinister 2, which does not have that scares or thrills the predecessor had.

Scott Derrickson direction on the first Sinister worked really well, setting a creepy tone, about Bughuul manipulating kids to watch super 8 homemade movies of a happy family turned sideways when their own kids murder them in a disturbing way.

Sinister 2 does lack the thrills, has uninteresting characters that are not properly developed, and the concept that was once scary actually is now dull in this sequel. Director Ciaran Foy handling this supernatural horror sequel does try to pull the same old tricks of cheap scares by having ghostly figures show up behind the characters and disappear when they are being watched.

Some of these tricks does not help building suspense, and the lack of characterization made the characters paper thin. There is Ex deputy So & So (James Ransone), who has been investigating these mysterious murders involving children murdering their families after the events with the first film.

The lack of creativity did not even give his character a name, or development to even care for his character. Only that he is trying to protect people and has a soft personality. Then, there is Courtney (Shannyn Sossamon), she has been separated from her abusive husband and is trying her hardest to help her two sons in cooping from those events.

Until, her youngest son is seeing ghost children that are making him watch those super 8 videos and trying to manipulate him to follow the same path to impress Bughuul. The plot is dull as it is, the creepy tone the first film set up, is a waste in this film.

Every now and then, we see So & So investigating in a dark eerie church, seeing shadows of children that are getting closer to him and a surprise in your face confrontation with Bughuul. These moments are not as scary as it use to be, and the climax of the film is not any better.

Seeing the characters trying to hide in a house, with the ghost children pointing them out and throwing things around and the characters are stupidly making dump choices. Sinister 2 has lost the touch and will be forgettable.