'SINISTER'

'SINISTER' (R) (3 STARS)

Written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Actors: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, Vincent D'Onofrio, James Ransone.

"Sinister" sets a creepy, eerie tone right from the start and it surprised me. It is a decently made, well told horror movie that will give you the creeps and make you jump a few times. It is from the creators of "Insidious" which came out a few years ago but lacked a solid ending. It went all off in different directions. "Sinister" has more control and though the ending may seem out there I was satisfied by it. It also helps that Ethan Hawke is the star of the movie. We know he can act and he provides a solid center to this effective thriller.

Hawke plays Ellison, a writer who specializes in writing true life horror, crime stories. He moves his family to at first looks like a cool, cozy house but actually has a sinister history. A family had been discovered with nooses around their necks hanging to their death. It is discovered that there have been a series of family deaths like this in the house through the years. Everyone thinks Ellison is crazy for moving his wife Tracy and his two little kids Trevor and Ashley to a house of death like this and we agree. The local sheriff, played by Fred Dalton Thompson does not like Ellison from the start but his deputy is happy to help Ellison find out why these families all died the way they did.

Director Scott Derrickson does a very good job at setting a creepy tone and atmosphere. This is one of those horror movies that has a house that is a character in itself. I love this house as the kids explore all the tunnels, crevices and the attic. The movie almost always takes place at night and the house is shown as an eerie and at the same time beautiful place where evil can be discovered. This is the best use of a house in a horror movie since Ti West's masterpiece "House of the Devil". Ethan Hawke gives a grounded performance that does not go over the top. He gets great support from Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransome as the deputy and the great Vincent D'Onofrio as an expert of the occult.

"Sinister" is more than just a haunted house movie and I was intrigued by the story. It is not laughable like most movies of it's kind because the story is very gruesome and it is played seriously, not tongue-in-cheek. It will keep you involved throughout and it will give you some chills and some good scares. It actually might scare it's intended fan base and that is rare these days. I also think the ending works and that is rare. It gives you an ending that might leave you scratching your head but once you walk out you discover that the ending is not a cheat and kind of cool. "Sinister" is a solid and effective, creepy horror thriller that delivers the goods all the way to the end.

P.S. The night before I saw and reviewed a wonderful movie I knew nothing about going in to. It turned out to be a movie that knocked me on my butt and entertained the hell out of me. It is "Kill List" and "Sinister" reminds me of it, you should check out "Kill List" on DVD and then go see "Sinister".