Review of Sinister (2012) by Callum H — 01 Nov 2014

Terrifying imagery, a relatable and strong performance from Ethan Hawke, a good premise and incredibly well executed atmosphere allow Sinister to often transcend the genre cliches which plague the category of film of which it belongs to. It's not an overtly original piece of cinematic entertainment, though the way director and writer Scott Derrickson handled the entire project is creative and unique enough to prevent immediate comparison to other films of the same nature.

The plodding style of the film is possibly the greatest asset the movie possesses, as it not only captures your attention for the 1 hour and 49 minute long running time, but it allows you to invest your emotions and feelings in characters which seem undeniably real. Unfortunately, much of the atmosphere is destroyed by some relatively poor scares, jumping out of nowhere for a small gasp, though this isn't to discount the entirety of frights contained within this project. The imagery is what maintains the film throughout, and a number of shots will undoubtedly be burned into your memory for the week or so after viewing the film.

The cinematography is effective, the score is only just acceptable, the locations are relatively lifeless (though they certainly contain an aggression about them) and the make-up isn't overtly intuitive but ever-still potent; Sinister ticks all the boxes for a thoroughly enjoyable, harrowing and often terrifying horror flick, which will keep you awake for nights on end.