Sinister (2012)

Blumhouse Productions – of Paranormal Activity notoriety – inadvertently prove that their ethos of low budget, high-concept filmmaking is as challenging to execute coherently as it sounds. Scott Derrickson’s hybrid found-footage haunted house chiller, Sinister, displays no clear train of narrative thought beneath its spook house gag exterior; instead, it attempts to manufacture some semblance of authenticity from an unusual amalgamation of human neuroses, ancient occultism and consumer videography. But it never quite makes you believe, despite Ethan Hawke’s considerable facial acting chops.

The story chronicles a once-prosperous true crime writer, Ellison (Ethan Hawke), probing for his next bestseller in his new family home that just so happens to be filled with super 8 films containing disturbing content. Just who left the reels and who captured the events becomes the focus of his research, with every pallid digit pointing phantasmatically at a Babylonian creeper who resembles the lead vocalist in a shock rock band.

Young Clare Foley and her personal ancient evil

If you’ve failed to sense Sinister’s originality from even a cursory glance at this slightly flippant synopsis, it’s probably because said “originality” is derivative of at least a half dozen films before its time that have explored either celluloid-based found footage or imagery as a medium for navigating parallel dimensions. Allegorically, the realms of Schumacher’s 8MM and some kind of Thomas Harris biographical crossover to do for film stock what The Ring did for VHS cassette.

An admirable ternary mode of plot progression that seamlessly moves from formulaic thriller; to gimmicky shocker before finally settling at its supernatural roost, is the Derrickson capstone. Beyond that, Sinister, from its overbearingly loud jump cues; to its punchy one-word title and grisly cover artwork, has a single objective – and that's to shallowly entertain the audience for 90 minutes, which it does.

Rating: 3.5/5