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Sinister

Play trailer 2:26 Poster for Sinister R Released Oct 12, 2012 1h 49m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 155 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
True-crime writer Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
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Sinister

Sinister

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Critics Consensus

Its plot hinges on typically implausible horror-movie behavior and recycles countless genre cliches, but Sinister delivers a surprising number of fresh, diabolical twists.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Howell Toronto Star More stupid than scary, Sinister can't even figure out who its real demon is. Rated: 2/4 Oct 13, 2012 Full Review Kevin C. Johnson St. Louis Post-Dispatch It comes together with a gruesome though excellent ending that some will find difficult to shake. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 12, 2012 Full Review Liam Lacey Globe and Mail A mixed bag of old-school and contemporary horror tricks that occasionally raises a hair prickle of intrigue. Rated: 2/4 Oct 12, 2012 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh A number of sequences are undeniably unsettling and effective, yet its narrative seems to only be a device to deliver those encounters. Rated: 3/5 Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Cassondra Feltus Black Girl Nerds 'Sinister' remains one of the most original horror movies out there. Rated: 4.5/5 Oct 16, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review The protagonist, played by Ethan Hawke, spends too much time bumbling around in the dark to discover the origin of mysterious sounds, and not enough time heeding the obvious warning signs that foretell his doom. Rated: 2/4 Sep 23, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sams K Not bad, Ethan Hawk is a great actor. Too much jumpscares but the story is interesting. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/01/24 Full Review Saul Ismael R The story is terrifying as hell but his horror scenes kind of doesn't work for me Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/30/24 Full Review Mintu A Quite disturbing, enjoyed it 👌 Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/29/24 Full Review Hepin D Quiet disturbing, Enjoyed it 👌 Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/28/24 Full Review None O No one ever turns on a light. That tanked the whole movie for me. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/27/24 Full Review Justin Ace V This is what u call a horror movie. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/27/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Sinister

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis True-crime writer Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
Director
Scott Derrickson
Producer
Jason Blum, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
Screenwriter
Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
Distributor
Summit Entertainment
Production Co
Alliance, Blumhouse, Summit Entertainment, Automatik, IM Global
Rating
R (Some Terror|Disturbing Violent Images)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 12, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$48.1M
Runtime
1h 49m
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