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Sinister

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Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, and written by C. Robert Cargill. The film was released on October 12, 2012 and premiered at the SXSW festival.

Synopsis[]

A controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.

Plot[]

The film opens with Super 8 footage depicting a family of four standing beneath a tree with hoods over their heads and nooses around their necks. An unseen figure saws through a limb acting as a counterweight, causing them all to be hanged.

Months later, washed-up true crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves into the murdered family's home with his wife, Tracy (Juliet Rylance), and their two children Ashley (Clare Foley)-- a gifted artist who is allowed to paint on her walls-- and Trevor (Michael Hall D'Addario), who begins re-experiencing bizarre night terrors upon moving into the home. Only Ellison is aware that the house they are moving into was the crime scene. Ellison intends to use the murders as the basis for his new book, and hopes that his research will turn up the fate of the family's fifth member, a little girl named Stephanie who disappeared following the murders.

Ellison finds a box in the attic, which contains a projector and several reels of Standard 8 mm footage that are each labeled as if innocent home movies. Watching the films, Ellison discovers that they are snuff movies depicting families being murdered in various ways, including having their throats slit in bed (Sleepy Time '98), being burnt to death in a car (BBQ '79), being drowned in their pool (Pool Party '66), being run over by a lawn mower (Lawn Work '86) and the hanging that opened the movie (Family Hanging Out '11).

The drowning film proves especially disturbing for Ellison after he notices a demonic figure watching the drownings from the bottom of the pool before turning to look at the camera. Ellison eventually finds the figure observing the murders in each of the films, along with a strange painted symbol; inspecting the underside of the lid of the box containing the films, Ellison discovers numerous crude drawings depicting the murders, along with crude drawings of the demonic figure, identified as "Mr. Boogie."

Consulting a local deputy (James Ransone), Ellison discovers that the murders depicted in the films took place at different times, beginning in the 1960s, and in different cities across the country. He also learns that the families were all drugged before being killed; and that a child from each family went missing following every murder. The deputy refers Ellison to a local professor, Jonas (Vincent D'Onofrio), whose expertise is the occult and demonic phenomena, to decipher the symbol in the films. Jonas tells Ellison that the symbols are that of a pagan deity named Bughuul, who would kill entire families so that he could take their children into his realm and consume their souls.

One night, Ellison hears the film projector running and goes up to the attic. There, he finds the missing children in various states of decay, watching one of the films. Bughuul suddenly appears on camera before physically appearing before Ellison. Ellison takes the camera and the films to the backyard and burns them. Then he wakes his family to tell them that they are moving back to their old house.

At his old home, Ellison receives a message from Professor Jonas, who sends him scans of historical drawings associated with Bughuul; each had been partially destroyed because ancient cultures believed that Bughuul lived within the images, and that they acted as portals between his realm and the mortal world. Ellison then discovers the projector and films in his attic, along with a new envelope of film labeled "extended endings." During this time, the deputy tries calling several times, but Ellison never answers.

The next time the deputy calls, while Ellison is assembling the films, he answers. The deputy informs him that he has discovered a link between each of the murders: Every family had previously lived in the house where the last murder took place, and each new murder occurred shortly after the family moved into their new residence. By moving back to his old home after living at the site of the previous murders, Ellison has placed himself and his family in line to be the next victims.

Ellison then watches the footage. He finds that it depicts the missing children coming onscreen following each murder, revealing themselves to be the killers before suddenly disappearing. Before he can react, Ellison becomes light-headed; inspecting his coffee cup, he finds a note reading "Good Night Daddy" and a green liquid inside the cup before losing consciousness.

Ellison awakens to find himself, his wife and his son bound and gagged. Ashley approaches holding the 8 mm camera, and promises him that she will make him famous again. Ashley then proceeds to murder her family with an axe, using their blood to paint images of cats, dogs, and unicorns on the walls. Her work complete, Ashley adds a new drawing to the box lid, complete with the drawing of "Mr. Boogie." She views the Super-8 film of her murders, which concludes with an image of the missing children watching her. Bughuul appears, green blood covering his hands, causing the children to flee. He lifts Ashley into his arms and disappears into the film with her.

The film concludes with an image of the box of films in the Oswalt family's attic, now accompanied by a reel labeled "House Painting '12". Bughuul suddenly appears, warning that the viewers are next.

Cast[]

  • Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt
  • Juliet Rylance as Tracy Oswalt
  • Fred Thompson as Sheriff (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
  • James Ransone as Deputy
  • Michael Hall D’Addario as Trevor Oswalt
  • Clare Foley as Ashley Oswalt
  • Vincent D’Onofrio as Professor Jonas (uncredited)
  • Nicholas King as Bughuul/Mr. Boogie
  • Victoria Leigh as Stephanie
  • Danielle Kotch as Lawn Girl
  • Cameron Ocasio as BBQ Boy
  • Ethan Haberfield as Pool Party Boy
  • Blake Mizrahi as Sleepy Time Boy
  • Rob Riley as E.M.T.
  • Tavis Smiley as Anchor
  • Janet Zappala as Reporter
  • Emma Jonnz as Flavian (uncredited)
  • Rachel Konstantin as Mrs. Stevenson (uncredited)

Production[]

The 2012 horror film Sinister was directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written with C. Robert Cargill. Produced on a $3 million budget, it grossed $87.7 million globally. Inspired by a nightmare Cargill had after watching The Ring, the story centers on a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) uncovering supernatural snuff films in his new home. Filming occurred in autumn 2011, primarily in Long Island, New York, with additional scenes shot in Los Angeles. The production emphasized authenticity by shooting Super 8 segments on actual film stock. The film’s dark aesthetic was crafted by cinematographer Christopher Norr, with post-production handled in Los Angeles and New York.

Ratings[]

Deaths[]

  • Jenny Stevenson - Hung on a tree by Stephanie on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Brian Stevenson - Hung on a tree by Stephanie on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Mrs. Stevenson - Hung on a tree by Stephanie on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Mr. Stevenson - Hung on a tree by Stephanie on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Stephanie Stevenson - Abducted into the film by Bughuul off-screen. Revived as a ghost.
  • Scorpion - Crushed by Ellison Oswalt with a box.
  • Mrs. Martinez - Burned alive in a car by the BBQ Boy on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Ronnie Martinez - Burned alive in a car by the BBQ Boy on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Mr. Martinez - Burned to death in a car by the BBQ Boy on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • The BBQ Boy - Abducted into the film by Bughuul off-screen. Revived as a ghost.
  • Both of The Pool Party Boy's Parents - Drowned in a swimming pool by the Pool Party Boy on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Vicky - Drowned in a swimming pool by the Pool Party Boy on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Amber - Drowned in a swimming pool by the Pool Party Boy on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • The Pool Party Boy - Abducted into the film by Bughuul off-screen. Revived as a ghost.
  • Mrs. Miller - Throat slit by Christopher with a kitchen knife on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Mr. Miller - Throat slit by Christopher with a kitchen knife on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Jake Miller - Stabbed to death by Christopher with a kitchen knife on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Christopher Miller - Abducted into the film by Bughuul off-screen. Revived as a ghost.
  • Mrs. De Luzio - Shredded by the Lawn Girl with a lawnmower on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Mr. De Luzio - Killed by the Lawn Girl off-screen on the orders of Bughuul, body bag seen in video tape.
  • Mr. De Luzio's Daughter - Killed by the Lawn Girl off-screen on the orders of Bughuul, body bag seen in video tape.
  • The Lawn Girl - Abducted into the film by Bughuul off-screen. Revived as a ghost.
  • Ellison Oswalt - Dismembered by Ashley with an axe off-camera on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Tracy Oswalt - Dismembered by Ashley with an axe off-camera on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Trevor Oswalt - Dismembered by Ashley with an axe off-camera on the orders of Bughuul, shown in video tape.
  • Ashley Oswalt - Abducted into the film by Bughuul. Revived as a ghost.

Jumpscares[]

Source: Where’s The Jump
Total: 17

  1. 00:18:09 – A shadow movies behind Ellison.
  2. 00:24:42 – Trevor begins screaming while coming out of a box.
  3. 00:39:13 – A loud bang startles Ellison.
  4. 00:41:00 – There is a loud banging noise while Ellison is in the attic.
  5. 00:41:59 – Ellison lifts a box lid to uncover a snake.
  6. 00:43:13 – Ellison falls through the attic floor.
  7. 00:52:30 – Bughuul’s face on Ellison’s laptop begins to move.
  8. 00:55:17 – Ellison lowers the print of Bughuul’s face only to see the same face mirrored in the backyard outside.
  9. 00:56:13 – Ellison sees Trevor’s face hiding in the bushes.
  10. 00:57:14 – Several deceased children are seen standing behind Ellison.
  11. 01:03:54 – A tied up body suddenly comes into view in front of lawnmower.
  12. 01:08:44 – A deceased girl appears beside Ellison.
  13. 01:09:45 – A deceased girl in a yellow coat appears in the hallway.
  14. 01:11:16 – A deceased girl sits beside Ashley’s bed.
  15. 01:25:47 – Bughuul’s face suddenly appears in front of Ellison while he is peering into the attic.
  16. 01:26:04 – A box labelled home movies drops from the attic and lands on the floor beside Ellison.
  17. 01:43:42 – Bughuul’s face abruptly drops into view, just before the final credits roll.

Soundtracks[]

  • Portrait of Mr. Boogie - Christopher Young
  • Never Go In Dad’s Office - Christopher Young
  • The Horror In the Canisters - Christopher Young
  • Levantation - Christopher Young
  • Rot Not, Want Not - Christopher Young
  • Don’t Worry Daddy, I’ll Make You Famous Again - Christopher Young
  • Millimeter Music - Christopher Young
  • The Eater of Children - Christopher Young
  • Sinister - Christopher Young
  • Pollock Type Pain - Christopher Young
  • Sinister Remix (The Rite of Left) [feat. Collage] - Christopher Young
  • Sin Sister Sweet (Suite From the Sinister Film Score) - Christopher Young
  • My Sick Piano - Christopher Young
  • Gyroscope - Boards of Canada

Trivia[]

  • The family that was hanged on a tree were all played by stuntmen. However, when the scene was first done, the stunt coordinator botched the preparations for the scene, resulting in one of the actors coming loose from his harness, which went up around his neck. Fortunately he was not physically harmed, and the stunt coordinator was fired on set soon after.
  • (at around 27 mins) The 'Pool Party '66' snuff film in Sinister was extremely difficult to film according to C. Robert Cargill. The actors/actresses who played the doomed family were tied down to lawn chairs and pulled underwater in reality, and the filmmakers had to be extremely careful that nobody was harmed while filming the scene took place. Further complications occurred while filming the killer underwater; Nicholas King (Bughuul) had to wear weights and stay underwater for several seconds while he was filmed. Since the scene was filmed entirely on Super 8 film, care had to be taken to ensure that the camera was properly rolling and that the cartridge and light meter were working, otherwise the scene would have to be re-shot numerous times.
  • Writer C. Robert Cargill got the idea for the script from a nightmare he had after watching The Ring (2002).
  • There is very little blood, almost no cursing, and no sex in this movie because the filmmakers were hoping for a PG-13 rating. However, they still got an R based on content alone.
  • Ethan Hawke had never seen the Super 8 snuff films prior to the date of recording Sinister. When the scene where his character watches the snuff films was ready to be recorded, the soundtrack was matched up with the films and Hawke played out his role. His reactions to the films were recorded for Sinister and used in the final film.
  • The scenes showing the Super 8 home videos were filmed on a real Super 8 film camera to capture the grainy, nostalgic effect of old movies, according to C. Robert Cargill.
  • According to co-writer C. Robert Cargill, Bughuul "Mr. Boogie" was originally intended to look more like the Johnny Depp (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)) version of Willy Wonka. After going over this idea, it was decided that the deity looking like Willy Wonka would be "too silly for the film and not scary or mysterious enough". Finally a photo was found on Google Images that Cargill bought the rights to, and this was the basis for the final Bughuul as seen in the finished film.
  • The makers of this movie scoured the Internet for weeks looking for the most obscure and creepy soundtrack they could find. While Christopher Youngcomposed a large number of the background scores for the movie, C. Robert Cargill bought the rights to music by Ulver, Judgehydrogen and Boards of Canadato use in the snuff film clips because of their mysterious and eerie noises. Young's soundtrack is available on CD, but the CD doesn't include the additional songs by other bands and has yet to be released on vinyl or as MP3s.
  • In 2020, Forbes Magazine conducted a study, Science of Scare Project, where the heart rate of the viewers were monitored while they watched a number of horror films. Out of 35 films, this movie won, having the highest average heart rate at 86, spiking at 131BPM, thus it often being deemed the scariest movie ever made.
  • The name 'Bughuul' translates back to 'Boogeyman'.
  • The song 'Gyroscope' by Scottish electric band Boards of Canada, used in the end credits and film-burning scenes in this movie, are recycled for Sinister 2 (2015)and played during a few scenes.
  • The bright colors in the Super 8 home movies come from Eastman Kodak's Kodachrome (the K-14 process used is known for its vivid reproductions of reds, yellows, blues and greens). The same year that Sinister was released - 2012 - Kodachrome was discontinued and the K-14 film process became obsolete due to the market for digital cameras and Kodak's near-bankruptcy.
  • The sheriff in the film is played by Fred Thompson, former Republican Senator from Tennessee. Thompson also has sought the GOP nomination for president.
  • Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill admitted that the name of Ethan Hawkes' character, Ellison Oswalt, was inspired by author Harlan Ellison and comedian Patton Oswalt. Patton Oswalt is famously a horror movie buff.
  • Ethan Hawke plays a writer, which he is in real life, having written two novels: "The Hottest State" (1996) and "Ash Wednesday" (2002).
  • The movie was inspired by a nightmare writer C. Robert Cargill had after watching The Ring (2002). The Ring and its source film Ringu (1998) were both financed by Japanese film producer Takashige Ichise, whose first major box-office success was the film Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (1988), a fantasy horror about a ghoulish entity who hypnotizes and kidnaps innocents.
  • Bughuul's Super 8 camera is a Pro8mm hybrid Bealeau model, designed in the 21st century by Pro8mm from used cameras. Pro8mm often helps with films and music videos in an attempt to showcase the art and nostalgia of celluloid film. The film stock and projector used in the movie were from the Eastman Kodak company.
  • For much of the film, Ellison is wearing a Bennington College sweatshirt. One of the faculty members of the Vermont based college was Stanley Hyman, whose wife, Shirley Jackson, was known for her horror stories such as The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House.
  • The Super 8 snuff reels in this movie aren't unlike many of the snuff reels that came up in the latter half of the 20th century. The Super 8 film format, when it was introduced in 1965, allowed amateur filmmaking to be much cheaper and easier for the average person, but unfortunately this also meant that a great amount of snuff reels, most of them fake, started surfacing as urban legends and in banned movies such as the Faces of Death series. Most real snuff films that featured actual murders were never revealed to the public and have been confiscated by police as evidence. The John F. Kennedy assassination was caught on a regular 8mm camera by an amateur filmmaker as an unintentional murder film and revealed to the public; since then it has been subject to several documentaries and conspiracy theories. This movie's snuff reels were made to look like 20th century murder films on purpose to fit the story, which questions who the people behind all the snuff reels out there are.
  • Similar fictional characters to Bughuul include Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King's "IT" and Slenderman from the Creepypasta Internet trend, and the psychotic mystery murderer from the novel "Syndrome E". Furthermore, Lawn Girl wears a yellow slicker like Georgie does in the IT book, miniseries, and film while James Ransone would go onto appear in It Chapter Two (2019).
  • The Science of Scare project measures heart rate and other factors of participants to rank the level of scarieness of horror films. Sinister rank as #1 in the year 2020 and 2023, with a Scare Score of 96 out of 100. The study noted that participants "experienced a 34% uplift in heart rate when watching the movie, from 64 bpm, up to 86 bpm across the movie, with the films scariest moment sending hearts pounding to 131 bpm. HRV dropped by 21% among viewers, the second lowest of any film on the list, indicating a perfect balance of startling moments and slow burn scare."
  • The program that Ellison Oswalt uses is Apple's QuickTime.
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