Sinister

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2:26

Sinister

R

Released Oct 12, 2012

1h 49m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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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

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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

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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

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Alejandra C

This film made the news on how people had the highest heart beat but its just a slow burn with a nice thriller and jump scares. Worth the watch but not the hype

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/06/25

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Justin H

Great horror movie. Very dark and lots of jump scares.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

Full Review

Amber T

This is hands down one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. It gave me the same nightmarish feelings as the original nightmare on elm Street. Worth a watch. Spoiler alert! Once you've seen some parts of this movie, you can never unsee them

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

Full Review

Aidan F.

Scary, creepy, unsettling, and dark atmosphere. A great performance by Ethan Hawke in his first ever horror movie. The ghoul is a scary and intimidating antagonist. The ending was no surprise as the movie seemed to be heading that way all along. Overall a very solid and scary movie that I could watch repeatedly.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/26/25

Full Review

James B

Sinister makes good use of its found footage scenes and effective scares.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/19/25

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Big D

Definitely a good one, full of jump scares and keeps you on the edge of your seat for sure.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/10/25

Full Review

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Scott Derrickson

Director

Ethan Hawke

Ellison

Vincent D'Onofrio

Prof. Jonas

James Ransone

Deputy

Fred Dalton Thompson

Sheriff

Clare Foley

Ashley

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Sinister: Trailer 1

2:26

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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: Automatik, Summit Entertainment, Alliance, Blumhouse, 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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