Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Alliance Films
Automatik Entertainment
Blumhouse Productions
IM Global
Summit Entertainment
Sinister Collection
Once you see him, nothing can save you.
True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
Dr Nostromo
Jul 27, 2026 · via TMDB
73/100 A true crime writer moves into a home where a horrific murder took place and his family encounters a malevolent force. This was an ultra-creepy exercise in, not only a demonic presence, but also in obsession and how far someone is willing to go before considering their family's safety. Everyone in it did a wonderful job and their actions were logical, heartfelt and intelligent. It's absolutely thick with a sense of dread, with a few really choice jump scares that never felt like pandering, and that sound track is incredibly unnerving. Very nicely done! - DrNostromo.com
Gimly
Jul 26, 2020 · via TMDB
Hits an absurdly high number of horror clichés, but manages to do it in a pretty successful manner. Features many more laugh out moments than you might expect from a horror of this type. Not sure if that's a pro or a con. _Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._
John Chard
Oct 14, 2015 · via TMDB
Bughuul the Bastard! After moving himself and his family into a new house that was the scene of a horrendous crime, true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) finds a box of 8mm "snuff" films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates some way back still further... It is becoming the un-reviewable genre, horror that is, there are just too many splinters of horror to choose from and so many people to cater for. There are many who stand up and proudly proclaim that they will watch any horror film and view it on its own terms, yet in this new millennium age that doesn't appear to be the case. I know I'm at fault, I hate torture porn and excessive grue type films, they just bore me, so can I review Hostel 9, Saw 27 and Wrong Turn 12 fairly? No, I don't think I can. I mean the human body can only be sliced up in so many different ways, right? Right? Vice Versa, can someone who loves Argento, Roth and the like, review fairly a boo-jump ghost story that caters for those who want to wet themselves when something jumps out of a cupboard? I really don't think so, but I digress... Sinister is a wonderfully creepy movie that deals firmly in the realm of demons who come into the real world to cause unmitigating terror and heartbreak. It has no "axe" to grind with the blood thirsty who want to see arteries sliced and diced, it just wants to put a protagonist front and centre as he gets in way above his head, have his family come under serious threat; especially the child (oh my, the children...), and throw in the odd "boo-jump" moment to keep the pant wetters happy. The video footage used to show us the previous crimes unnerves greatly and there's a strong mystery element to keep the intrigue level high, whilst the ending doesn't cop out in the slightest. Hawke is excellent, perfectly portraying a man horrified yet submerged by the need to unravel the story, but his turn is sadly balanced by Juliet Rylance as the wife who seems unable to generate believable emotion. This film really isn't for any horror fan who isn't into the "demon in the real world" type horror; like Insidious for example. While those who like this splinter of horror and still decry it brings nothing new to the table, I'll ask again, well what would you like to see brought to the table then? I love this sub-genre of horror, and I feel Sinister is one of the best films of its type in recent years. Its reputation amongst like minded adults is well founded...just don't watch the trailer first, mind! 8/10
SheBlogger
Oct 17, 2012 · via TMDB
Sinister (A Horror Movie): From a Commoner’s View NO SPOILERS – SheBlogger hates spoilers :) Okay…so here’s another horror movie review from the girl who is yet to be scared with scenes shot in the dark, gory murders and startling sound effects. HeBlogger and I went to the mall last Sunday to watch a different movie. We thought Tiktik, which is a Filipino horror movie, was already showing. Apparently, it is not scheduled until next week. Then we saw Sinister’s poster, which said, “from the producer of Paranormal and Insidious”. We have seen both movies and we both didn’t like Paranormal but both enjoyed Insidious. So we said, okay…let’s watch this instead. Didn’t know anything about this movie Sinister so as we walked inside the empty movie house, I wondered which one is it going to be like. Is it going to be a homemade movie about paranormal activities with three different endings? Oh please…I fervently hope not! I crossed my fingers because I noticed there were rolls of super 8 films on the poster. Or is it going to be about demons capturing souls and possessing the physical body with a non-happy ending? Or is it going to be a totally different story? I hoped it would be. We were the first two of the five people who came to watch this movie. The others were a group of three teenage girls, who surprisingly didn’t scream or shout at all, throughout the screening. What a joy to be watching in silence and absolute peace! Okay, on to the movie review… The movie opens with a scene shot like a home video, so I go like, uh-oh… But don’t be disheartened. It’s nothing like Paranormal and deeper into the story, you’d see that it is more like Insidious. That much I would tell you. The story is about a real crime stories writer, played by Ethan Hawke (the only actor I know in the movie), who moved his entire family to a house where a family was hung to death in the backyard tree and their little girl still missing. In the course of his research and with the help of rolls of seemingly innocent and happy family home videos that mysteriously appeared in the attic, he discovers more brutal murders of different families in different houses. So there’s the question… Are these murders in any way related, considering there’s always a little child missing? I must say that I find the premise of the story original. Well, at least for me. So I give it 4.5 gems for Story and Originality... Continue reading on: http://heblogs-sheblogs.com/2012/10/sinister-movie-review/
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Paramount+ Amazon Channel
YouTube TV
MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Ethan Hawke
Ellison Oswalt
Juliet Rylance
Tracy Oswalt
Vincent D'Onofrio
Professor Jonas
James Ransone
Deputy
Fred Thompson
Sheriff
Clare Foley
Ashley Oswalt
Michael Hall D'Addario
Trevor Oswalt
Victoria Leigh
Stephanie Stevenson
Blake Mizrahi
Christopher Miller
Cameron Ocasio
BBQ Son / Killer
Danielle Kotch
Lawn Girl
Ethan Haberfield
Pool Party Boy
Nicholas King
Bughuul / Mr. Boogie
Tavis Smiley
Anchor
Rachel Konstantin
Mrs. Stevenson (uncredited)
Chester the Chihuahua
Barking Dog (uncredited)
Aaron Becker
Title Designer
Daniel Feighery
First Assistant "B" Camera
Sarah Hindsgaul
Hairstylist
Natalie Jones
Set Production Assistant
Aaron Vexler
Stunt Double
Emily Brobst
Stunt Double
Jasi Cotton Lanier
Stunt Double
Chris Colombo
Stunts
Jasi Cotton Lanier
Stunts
Mark Stefanich
Stunts
Scott Burik
Stunts
Shawnna Thibodeau
Stunts
Stanton Barrett
Stunts
Tanner Gill
Stunts
Cornel West
Thanks
Stuart Ford
Thanks
Tavis Smiley
Thanks
Scott Derrickson
Director
Scott Derrickson
Executive Producer
Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
Producer
Jason Blum
Producer
Natalie Jones
Production Assistant
Mark DeSimone
ADR Mixer
Ric Schnupp
ADR Recordist
Christopher Young
Original Music Composer
C. Robert Cargill
Screenplay
Scott Derrickson
Screenplay
Birth of a MURDERER
Postcards
Final Girl
Alexandra
Silhouette
Memento
The Sixth Sense
Blue Velvet
Laura
Let the Right One In
Zodiac
Alone Together
Once the Killing Starts
The Devil's Advocate
Sicario
The Long Goodbye
Carrie
American Satan
A History of Violence
Re-Animator
Inland Empire
Ronin
Reminiscence
Con Air
Zombie Flesh Eaters
Inside
Matador
Sacred
Dead Space: Downfall
Happy Death Day
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Advent
The Village
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Wallander: The Secret
Planet of the Vampires
Game of Death
Zombie Strain
Two-Minute Warning
Idle Hands
Vampire
Marlowe
The Sentinel
Angel
The Gate
Monster Man
The Sinners
The Brasher Doubloon
Vampire's Kiss
The Gray Man
Righteous Kill
Indigenous
The Big Sleep
Deep Water
The Exorcist: Believer
Perfect Stranger
Saltwater: The Battle for Ramree Island
Alone With Her
The Rage: Carrie 2
Dr. Renault's Secret
No Code of Conduct
White Noise 2: The Light
Tortured
Enter the Ninja
Candles at Nine
Bangkok Dangerous
The Walker
Dying Breed
The Legend of Boggy Creek
Blood Widow
Poison Ivy 2: Lily
American Zombie
The Fog
The Scarehouse
Brutal Massacre: A Comedy
America's Most Haunted
Before He Wakes
Dard Divorce
Taken Heart
Spirit in the Woods
The Lashman
Ready or Not
Liminal Space
The Lifeboat
Girl Forgotten: What Happened To Brianna Wells? Part 1-3
Beware The Moon
137.7
Sonora - CRTSAS-002
O Ghoti
Honto ni Atta! Noroi no Video Vol. 32
All You Can Eat
Honto ni Atta! Noroi no Video Vol. 54
Not Found 7
Not Found 9
La caravane du cafard
Untitled
Chinatown
Lee Cronin's The Mummy
Night of the Living Dead
Blow Out
Weapons
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The Dry
Malignant
The Ring
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor
The Night House
The Taking of Deborah Logan
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
The Dogs
Creep
The Awakening
Becky
Vacancy
The Prodigy
The Haunting in Connecticut
Lake Mungo
Paranormal Activity
Lady in White
Be Afraid
Raising Cain
825 Forest Road
The Bay
Werewolves
Mar 11, 2012
South by Southwest Film Festival
Oct 12, 2012
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
The Brother
2017
80 Day Obsession: Day 75 AAA (Phase 1)
2018
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Versus
Sign in to play →
The Brother
2017
80 Day Obsession: Day 75 AAA (Phase 1)
2018
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
We use essential cookies to run MovieNight, plus analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google AdSense) cookies. By continuing to browse, you agree to this — or click No and we won't. See our Terms & Privacy Policy to learn more.