Sinister 2

Sinister is one of the better horror flicks to have come out in the last few years; it may have relied too heavily on jump scares to be truly frightening but it had just enough unsettling twists to captivate the audience. Unfortunately, the sequel simply does not live up to expectations.

Essentially, the plot of the two films hinge around a Babylonian deity, Bughuul, that makes children offer up their families as sacrifices. The more recent murders are captured on 8mm reels.

Sinister 2 starts out promisingly: mum-on-the-run Courtney (Shannyn Sossamon) is introduced with her sons, sweet Dylan and budding psychopath Zach. The family are hiding out in one of Bughuul’s haunts and Deputy So & So (James Ransone), who has been investigating the murders since the events of the last film, stumbles upon them. Dylan is haunted by a group of Bughuul’s victims who share their movies with him and pressure him to make his own.  

The film is undeniably well shot and, for a short while, the characters are interesting: Deputy makes for a refreshing protagonist as he seems to actually have his wits about him, and Courtney’s background is intriguing. Like its predecessor (and the majority of modern horror flicks) most of its thrills come from sudden loud noises and apparitions, but the creep factor is upped by the new set of reels, which feature creative, gut-wrenching ways to kill people. The plot too is surprisingly gripping.

For  the first two thirds of the film the audience is kept guessing. Tension builds amongst the family and Deputy So & So becomes increasingly desperate to save them. There’s some seriously creepy evidence about Bughuul dropped but, unfortunately, nothing really comes of it. The final third of the film reverts to the age-old supernatural thriller tropes, right down to everyone losing all common sense in the final chase.

But while it might not be anything genre-defining or mind-blowing, it’s at least an enjoyable, if not silly, summer horror flick and one of the better horror movie sequels on offer.

Natasha Furlong

Sinister 2 is released nationwide on 22^nd August 2015.

Watch the trailer for Sinister 2 here: