Previews made the 2012 horror film “Sinister” look so good I eagerly anticipated watching. The beginning was overshadowed by the Lions Gate intro, signaling a hit or miss (and usual miss) but it stars Ethan Hawke, one of my favorite actors, so I was hoping for something good.
The presentation of the plot is excellent. I loved the ominous tones set early, as Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a struggling true crime writer moving his family (unbeknownst to them) into a house where a grisly crime was committed.
Ellison loves his family but it’s clear from early on he doesn’t really care about the truth in the crime he’s writing about, he’s in it for the fortune and more importantly, the fame. Due to previous works that meddled in ongoing cases and at one point allowing an obviously guilty killer to go free on a technicality, the cops have a strong dislike for Ellison, and the pieces are set in place for this tension.
As a film, “Sinister” succeeds in its format. The visuals and sounds are outstanding. The story is said to have originated from a nightmare writer C. Robert Cargill had after he saw “The Ring.” One early scene depicting the Oswalt family at dinner displays the perfect amounts of non-obvious tension with the characters basked in shadows. The number one family rule is presented – never go in dad’s office, and always keep the door locked. There’s a noir quality to it that director Scott Derrickson employs well.
“Ethan Hawke” is a terrific talent, and outstanding in previous roles in “Dead Poets Society,” “Alive,” “Before the Devil Knows you’re Dead,” and “Gattaca.” Hawke is excellent here as alcohol craving writer Ellison Oswalt. As the character watches old film reels in a darkened office, the creepiness is there. He must deal with night terrors his own son is having, and all while trying to craft his bestselling book.
“Sinister” clocks in at 109 minutes, and is excellent for 90. It bottoms out completely with its horrid ending that ruins an otherwise solid movie. From a film study standpoint it has a lot of great aspects going for it. It’s an okay scary story, with a bad ending that ultimately brings the overall feature down.
