Sinister

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Han G Apr 27, 2019 Be Careful What You Ask For   This is a film about madness. Evil. Which crept its way into the lives of a family. Into their minds. Their souls. Long before we meet them. Worse. That a trusted family member paved the way for that corruption of innocence. For that possession. Nietzsche wrote: " If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you." Here we see that. Literally. This film creeps up on you and never lets you go. From the beginning frames. With rare exception the film unfolds from Ellison Oswalt, the main character's point of view. What he sees or does. Or more to the point, what he doesn't see or do. What he should have recognized, should have done, etc. Having Ethan Hawke as the main character was a great choice for one reason. For me he has a long history of playing deeply troubled characters who undergo some transformation. Tape, Training Day, Dead Poets Society, Taking Lives. The Purge. Best at being malign, unsympathetic, destructive. Here Ellison Oswalt is not uncaring. He is deeply flawed. Multiple deep flaws. Starting with classic Greek myth hubris. To regain that last shot at fame and notoriety. Along with that comes blindness. A dismissal of anything that interferes. Reality can be denied only so long. So far. A blindness to what an already troubled daughter paints on walls. Unicorns in black storm clouds. And that long-haired son who oozes screaming out of a cardboard box due to night terrors? Distortions of truth to his wife. Then add obsessional curiosity. He HAS to look. The warnings are there. A classic three: scorpion, snake, black dog. The progressive worsening of his reactions, increased maladaptive coping. We never see the Oswalt family before they are damaged. We see others, unaware, of their horrific fate, through a medium once benign, commonplace.Home movies. That hideous twist is the hallmark of great horror. People are familiar with Shakespeare's "the eyes are the windows of the soul." We see that back to the biblical consequence (Matt 6:23) "if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness." The clever mechanism is an invented Babylonian pagan diety Bughuul - "eater of children" who comes to possess the children - body and soul. Through being viewed by a child. An image made manifest. The literature of possession provides examples of how new abilities, unusual knowledge is gained by those affected. Add to that the influence of anger, resentment, bitterness at being uprooted from one's previous home. Fertile ground for evil to take root. And that darkness in the soul is reflected in the literal darkness of the film itself - intended by the director. Only when other characters come in does that darkness dissipate - only for a time. Ellison lacks the tools to combat that inevitable darkness - that small flashlight? Emblematic of his inadequacy to fight or dispel externally what he has promoted internally. The daughter's final ironic comment that she is going to make him famous again - give him what he so badly wanted - so perfect. Be careful what you ask for - the lesson of great horror. The soundtrack is perfect for accentuating the terror felt by the characters - and by the viewer. In the commentary the director refers to European bands I never heard of - nor could I find any reference. Loud sudden noises, repetitive disturbing sounds - short techno synth loops to create and and accentuate the mood. Excellent. It is not that the mechanisms and devices used are new that makes this film worthwhile. It is how and why they are used to create that overall effect. Here I am left with that disquieting, disturbing, creepy residue afterward. On top of the horror and fright during. A word about the supporting cast. None outshines or usurps the other. Perfect ensemble acting. Great film entertainment. See more

Finn R Mar 9, 2019 Sinister has the makings of a bone-chilling horror film that scares as often as it disturbs, building to its predictable, but still shocking conclusion. See more

Ron W Mar 3, 2019 Scariest movie i ever saw in my life. this movie could have been scarier. IF! they did not reveal what the monster was. Also the cursed tapes are scarier than the rings. :)))))) See more

Poe R Feb 12, 2019 While far from original Sinister manages to provide a scary and intense experience with more than a few surprises along the way. See more

Anakin G Feb 9, 2019 This is one of my favorite horrors. So creepy- lives up to its title. Super spooky imagery and the demon is bang on. (Dont expect as much from the sequel- Id give it maybe 2.5 stars.) See more

Hermione S Jan 2, 2019 This is very scary and will give kids nightmares along with some adults. Flawless plot , acting and hair raising scenes and demon . Must watch. Top 5 of the 21st century horrors in my books See more

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Sinister

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