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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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64% Tomatometer 154 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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David A Upon watching for the first time, this quickly became one of my favorite horror movies. Yes, it has many formulas that are concurrent to the times - the babadook-kinda monster, the phone will ring and youll die in 7 days - but this one is definetively original and scary. Won't surprise you as much the second time through, but overall holds up well for a good popcorn horror night. If you haven't seen it, then watch it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/09/25 Full Review Gabriel W This film is able to creates tension both visually and audibly. All in all, this movie did what it was supposed to do. It was a scary movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/25 Full Review Audience Member Great acting. Lots of good scares. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/25 Full Review angela f Él genuinamente creía que no les iba a pasar nada malo en una casa donde colgaron a una familia entera ☺️. Me gustó mucho la verdad. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/25 Full Review Josh A I decided to watch this movie a few nights ago because Jason Blum wanted to make it crossover with Insidious, a horror franchise I quite like, and because it's quite a beloved horror movie. And oh god, this is fantastic. The concept of a true crime writer solving a mystery is amazing and is done so well. The slow burn of him watching the tapes (which is an amazing concept: snuff films are something I hope horror does more as it's a concept I find scary because of how real it is) and piecing things together is amazing, and so is Officer So and So, his assistant. It's just a very well made story. However, the best part of this movie is the tapes. They feel like real snuff films would, but with a supernatural twist. They all feel dark and murky as well, which is a vibe you want to create when it comes to creepy films in movies. I can definitely see the inspiration this movie took from The Ring, to say the least. For context, by the way, this movie was inspired by a nightmare the writer, C. Robert Cargill, had after watching The Ring. And I can see the inspirations. Overall, it's an amazing horror movie with incredibly effective scares. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/11/25 Full Review Selma A Sort of brilliant, attention capturing. I got goosebumps each second and it didn't stop until the end of the movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/18/24 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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