SINISTER (2012)

Ethan Hawke and horror. One wouldn’t immediately think these two would make the greatest couple, but after seeing SINISTER, you’d be proven wrong. Dead Poets Society alum Hawke plays an author doing research who moves into a house with his family and uncovers some ‘sinister’ video tapes that purport to show murders. Classic tropes such as hangings, burnings, stabbings, etc. These tapes are grainy with eerie music playing over some of them and he can’t tell if they are real or not. Add to that some really freaky looking character that pops up in these videos, not to mention the fact that these tapes may or may not be tied to disappearing kids from previous times, and you have a crazy mystery going on. The big baddie in this movie I think should be more well known and a bigger iconic symbol in horror. Referred to as Baghuul, this entity would spell doom for all who usually would come across him/it. Without giving away the mystery, Hawke dives deep into the research about the tapes...and comes across something he prob wishes he never did. The gonzo murders on the tapes themselves are actually pretty subtle...but done so straight-forward with intensity with eerie music in the background that they will give even the most hardcore horror fan a jump or two. In fact, the whole movie is played straight...little to no humor but that works in its favor. You can feel the tension throughout the entire thing and even begin to wonder if you are seeing shadows behind people just talking in a normal scene. If you’re looking for a different kind of horror that never got its proper due…check it out. It’s sinister this one isn’t on top of more lists…

SLASH SCENE: The lawnmower video

SLASH SCORE: 4.5/5