Sinister

📽 Trailer Breakdown

The Sinister (2012) trailer captures the terrifying tone right from the start as it revolves around the true-crime novelist Ellison Oswalt who’s now moving into a family house with ominous history. He stumbles upon an old box of Super 8 home videos in the attic, finding a gruesome set of murders all linked to an evil spirit that comes to life in the grainy footage. The latter plays on a soundtrack that instantly screams horror, paired with disturbing visuals, flickering film reels and bone-chilling effects, hinting at a supernatural horror tale. In these initial moments, the trailer manages to succeed in creating an atmosphere of dread to grasp the audience’s attention.

🎭 Cast & Characters:

• Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt – An utterly captivated true-crime novelist who is fixated and perplexed by the truth.
• Juliet Rylance as Tracy Oswalt – Ellison’s spouse who has no knowledge regarding the sinister past of the house.
• Fred Thompson as Sheriff – The obnoxious local lawman who believes that Ellison should stay away from danger.
• James Ransone as Deputy So-and-So – A well intentioned but doubtful police officer.
• Clare Foley as Ashley Oswalt – The artistic daughter of Ellison who eventually becomes a target.
• Michael Hall D’Addario as Trevor Oswald- The son of Ellison who suffers from sinister night terrors.
• Nicholas King as Bughuul (Mr. Boogie) – The dominating, demonic figure disguised amongst the found footage.

📖 Plot Summary:

Once a popular true-crime novelist, Ellison Oswalt relocates with his family to a house in hopes of unearthing a murder mystery to reignite his career. Little did he know, the house is the site of a gruesome unsolved murder. In the attic, Ellison finds a box of home movies labeled “Pool Party”, “BBQ”, and “Sleepy Time”, but as he watches them, he realizes that they actually contain footage of entire families being brutally murdered.

As strange events start taking place, Ellison’s family begins being tormented. His son develops violent nightmares, his daughter starts drawing disturbing imagery, and shadowy figures begin lurking in the footage. He starts to see a disturbing correlation between the movies and an ancient pagan deity known as Bughuul, who is believed to be a monster that devours the souls of children. As Ellison uncovers the dark truth behind the movies, he understands way too late that by watching the movies, he has damned his family.

Why You Should Watch:

Ethan Hawke’s performance, paired with Super 8 footage and chilling music, puts you on edge throughout the movie. If you love horror films that stay with you long after the credits have rolled, Sinister is a must watch. Alongside chilling frames and alarming sounds, it has an unsettling atmosphere marked by slow-burning tension. It is a modern horror classic.