There hasn’t been a horror film that has scared me in years. I feel like the only thing that has truly shocked me in theaters recently has been the rising ticket prices. Let’s not be completely cynical, there are parts of films that have lead me to jump slightly out of my seat, but for the most part the story line disintegrates somewhere during the film and leads to an utterly disappointing ending. Walking out of Sinister I can honestly say for the first time this year, that I was pleasantly surprised.

Knowing instantly that Lionsgate had their fingers in this piece of cake, you knew almost exactly what you were getting yourself into, horror. What this writer didn’t know at the time of viewing was that writer/director Scott Derrickson was responsible for the majority of creativity and production. The only thing that I can say about Scott Derrickson is that we can be expecting great things from this mans mind. He’s come a long way since the Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Day the Earth Stood Still. I feel that with every film that we see this man do we see infinite learning and should expect greatness out of him. That being said, with his growing flare for the creepy and horrifying, Derrickson has brought a truly original concept to theaters, which is an accomplishment in itself in these days of cinema. Along with co-writer C. Robert Cargill, these boys have done quite the job with a $3 million dollar budget, which is truly a low-budget film.
Here’s the low down. Ethan Hawke plays failing true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt. (Fun Fact: the characters name is based off of Harlan Ellison and Patton Oswalt, whom co-writer C. Robert Cargill happens to be a huge fan of.) In the wake of his one big hit novel released almost a decade before real time in this film, Oswalt is struggling for his next big hit to ensure his families monetary security. In attempts to crack the gruesome murder of the previous owners he, unbeknownst to his family, moves into the very house that the crime takes place in. Setting up his office and crime den he discovers a super 8 player that has multiple different films of families doing typical family activities…until the film cuts to another scene of them all being brutally murdered. Knowing that he’s found gold, Oswalt refuses to turn in the evidence to the police and decides to do some investigation of his own only to find out that the only thing that can be found projected on the white sheet of his future is destruction.
Without giving to much away, this film was genuinely creepy. As a viewer you can tell very much so that the filming was extremely low budget. However, with the wonderful world of technology, a lot of the terror was brought to life in awesome CGI and effects that had this writer double taking frequently. On top of a clever use of technology, the story line genuinely had me feeling for the characters. Usually in horror films when creepy shit starts happening, you as a viewer start screaming at the screen “Leave the fucking house”, “Don’t go in here”, “What are you doing, dude!?” However, there was a genuine feeling of sympathy for Ethan Hawke’s character because the whole film is based around him trying to provide for his family.
Again, thoroughly impressed with the final product. If you’re into the horror scene, definitely check this one out. It’s worth the watch. Be warned though, you’ll never look at lawn mowers the same way again.