Sinister

Play trailer

2:26

Sinister

R

2012

1h 49m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

155 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

True-crime writer Ellison Oswald is in a slump; he hasn't had a bestseller 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.

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

10/13/2012

2/4

More stupid than scary, Sinister can't even figure out who its real demon is.

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Kevin C. Johnson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

10/12/2012

3.5/4

It comes together with a gruesome though excellent ending that some will find difficult to shake.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

10/12/2012

2/4

A mixed bag of old-school and contemporary horror tricks that occasionally raises a hair prickle of intrigue.

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 18

6/10

I can see why people like this movie and keep bringing it up to us. It’s got a distinctive dark tone while still being very approachable for mainstream audiences. It’s like if The Crow had a baby with The Nun from The Conjuring.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

09/22/2023

3/5

A number of sequences are undeniably unsettling and effective, yet its narrative seems to only be a device to deliver those encounters.

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Cassondra Feltus

Black Girl Nerds

10/16/2022

4.5/5

'Sinister' remains one of the most original horror movies out there.

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Ishak H

@megman Feb 17

Believe me you're gonna like it

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lee w

@LeeTee Feb 14

I found it keeping me on the edge of my seat and jumping and I thoroughly enjoyed it :spellbinding . Good atmosphere, scary and you leave mystified with questions unanswered. As good as The Ring or The Grudge. Two bags of popcorn!

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Holden H.

@HoldenH Feb 9

Amazing sound design in an okay movie

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Christopher J.

@CMURDR77 Feb 1

Hawke turns in his usually solid job and minus a few scary moments the film just didn’t do it for me. I gave it 3 stars only because of EHs decent performance and the story is creepy.

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Paul M

@Cubone114 Jan 30

Definitely one of the better horror movies I’ve seen. Great sound design and a refreshing concept. It gave me goosebumps more than once. It’s also quite funny at times, though the ending isn’t amazing. I’ve watched it several times, and of course it loses some of its impact over time. But if you haven’t seen it yet: go for it!

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Atrum I

@RT73019957 Jan 30

The analog style horror parts of the movie are some of the most disturbing and haunting things I have ever seen in cinema. I still can't watch the intro scene without mentally preparing myself for hours or even days beforehand. But the other parts of the movie can be mediocre and cliché. Its' runtime is also unnecessarily long. Despite the complaints, it is one of my favourite horror movies of all time and well worth the watch for any horror fan. There's a reason it has been voted as one of the top most terrifying horror films ever made. With that being said, do NOT watch Sinister 2. We do not speak of it. It does not exist.

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Scott Derrickson

Director

Ethan Hawke

Ellison

Vincent D'Onofrio

Prof. Jonas

James Ransone

Deputy

Fred Dalton Thompson

Sheriff

Clare Foley

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Sinister: Trailer 1

2:26

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Synopsis

True-crime writer Ellison Oswald is in a slump; he hasn't had a bestseller 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, Crime, Drama
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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