By MacKenzie Linehan
Contributing Writer
‘Tis the season! It’s that time of year for apple picking, pumpkin carving and the last of the warm weather before the frost comes in. But, the most exciting part about fall is the debut of spooky Halloween thrillers. There are the classic scary movies, like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Halloween” that will never be beat. But, one of the newest movies to hit theaters comes close.
“Sinister” is a nightmare inducing new movie, directed by Scott Derrickson. Moviegoers will walk out of the theater still shaken after the movie ends.
“Sinister” will have you screaming in the theater and wondering why you ever agreed to see it. When one family moves into a seemingly nice house, they soon discover it belonged to a family that was murdered. The main male character Ellison (Ethan Hawke, Dead Poets Society) discovers film of the previous family in the attic, and after that his life is never the same. With no help from the outside world, he takes on the ghosts of murdered children. In the end, he endures an unexpected fate, leaving you shocked and sleeping with a light on.
The main male character Ellison, played by Ethan Hawke (Dead Poets Society), moves his family into the haunted house. Ellison knew about the murders before he moved in, but decided not to tell his family about it.
The scariest part of the movie occurred when Ellison discovered the box full of scary footage left behind by the murderer. The videos, which were taken by the killer, contained disturbing details of the ugly crimes. The images in that particular scene cannot be easily forgotten, making it one of the most chilling parts of the entire film.
Ellison calls the police, but they offer no help because of his rough relations them. In Ellison’s novels, he makes the police force seem lazy and says that they never live up to the expectations their job. Throughout the movie Ellison seems to be haunted by his house’s past, but it is really his alcohol abuse and the pressure surrounding him that pushes Ellison to be extreme at times. He walks around the house hoping to see things that cause weird noises, but he doesn’t find them. The audience does see children though, who are spine-tingling enough to make you jump out of your seat.
When it came time for Ellison to unravel things, the movie reaches a low. Every time he tries to figure out why there are spooky things happening and what the films mean, more issues arise
“Sinister” was one of the most intense movies that I have seen in a while. You will leave the theater satisfied, and if you can’t handle too many scary instances, I recommend not seeing this. Although it is seemingly just another horror film, it ultimately doesn’t disappoint.
