Ethan Hawke spends the majority of the new horror film “Sinister” investigating noises in a darkened house. Creaks and pops mixed with the occasional thud and the haunting patter of tiny feet running down hallways. This is all creepy and atmospheric stuff as “Sinister” easily accomplishes what every midnight movie strives for: It delivers the fright.
But, as I have shared before, I am a grade “A” wimp. “The Exorcist” can only be viewed in during daylight hours in my home. I didn’t get a complete night’s sleep for about 5 weeks after watching the first “Paranormal Activity”. I kept hearing the hangers in my closet shift and slide… I like to invest in this sort of horror show and “Sinister” makes it simple to get bugged-eyed and frightened. Five full body jolts delivered. I may have peed just a touch.
Mr. Hawke portrays a true crime novelist named Ellison Oswalt. It has been nearly a decade since a book of his has been a bestseller and he is desperate. Ellison has moved his little nuclear family to Pennsylvania to investigate a crime for his latest effort. The details are grisly as four people were hanged from a tree and a little girl is missing. To really dig deep for this one, Ellison has the terrible notion of moving into the house where it all happened. Probably not the best idea.
In the attic of the home, Ellison finds a box of 8mm home movies with such inviting titles as “Hanging Out with the Family ‘11” and “Pool Party ‘69”. Each one captures a gruesome murder of a different family that are seemingly not connected. (My favorite involves a lawnmower!) As Ellison watches the films over and again, he notices that there is something that links the movies: The same menacing figure lurks in the background, watching the slaughter. We’ll call him Mr. Boogie and leave it at that.
Director Scott Derrickson is known for writing and directing within the genre. Credits include “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and “Urban Legends: Final Cut”. While none of his previous titles were all that well constructed, “Sinister” shows a marked improvement. While Derrickson does rely on loud, jolting sounds and spikes in music to get the hairs up at times, the pacing and reveals are expertly done. The film does not overuse computer effects (which is refreshing) and really just lets the story sink into your bones.
A major contributor to the dread atmosphere of the film is composer Christopher Young. The music is downright eerie with inexplicable intonations constantly keeping the viewer on edge. There is an apparent influence from Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor but still Young has created his own work here. You never know what sounds are in the room with Ellison or part of the soundscape and the result is disorienting.
“Sinister” does something else that is shocking by taking time to develop characters. Imagine that. Hawke makes Ellison a flawed man whose greed is destroying his family. The exchanges between Ellison and wife, Tracy (Juliet Rylance) have a bare honest to them. Ellison holes him self up in his office, obsessed with his work while his neglected family is barely visible. He is a selfish man and it makes what he finds waiting for him seem more like moral comeuppance.
