As the resident horror junkie here at the PDC I’m rarely surprised or frightened by horror films anymore. That’s not to say I don’t love even a mediocre horror movie, just that they don’t have the intended effect. When Sinister came out in 2012 it was a delightful surprise. The creepy atmosphere, original story, horrifying villain and quality acting made for a movie that really scared. Now let me expand on what makes a movie scary, as it will come up later in this review, it’s far more than the #1 crutch of all horror movies since 1978…the jump scare. For a movie to be truly scary it has to create a atmosphere so thick with dread that your heartrate doesn’t descend to a normal rate until after the credits roll (and even longer for the true greats). It’s not immediate scares but the slow building world created that transcends the screen and creeps into your real world. Sinister did that, from the opening scene. Sinister also did something else really well, sell tickets while keeping a low budget. Translation: a sequel was imminent. So this weekend we have Sinister 2, let’s play a bit of catch up for those of you who either didn’t see, or forgot what the original was all about. The villain of the series is a Babylonian god named Bughuul who murders entire families save for one child whom he brings into his realm for eternity. The film itself centers on Courtney (Shannyn Sossamon) who moves into a new home with her twin boys in an attempt to hide from her abusive husband. Little does she know she’s moved in just down the street from where a gruesome murder once took place. It’s ok though, because we all know that bad things only happen when you move into the actual place where the murder happened. Oops, Courtney’s decided to help renovate the church where the murder DID take place. That was bad luck. Also joining the fray is skeptic turned Bughuul hunter, Deputy So and So…yes that’s his actual character name (played by James Ransone) viewers of the original will remember him as the Sheriff’s deputy from the first film who wouldn’t believe Ethan Hawke that something odd was going on. Since the events of the first film he’s left the Sheriff’s department and has started work as a full time Bughuul hunter.
There’s quite a dilemma when making a sequel to an original and successful horror film (or I guess any film for that matter), do you just repeat the same exact formula with a different setting and different characters or do you risk throwing something new into the mix. With Sinister 2 they went for the latter making the aforementioned abusive husband more of a subplot than a McGuffin. I feel weird saying they shouldn’t have done this because domestic abuse is both topical and more importantly something that needs as much exposure as it can get…I just don’t think this is the place for it. I prefer my horror to not feel too real. There are scenes of abuse in this film that are not only truly disturbing but also ground the film in a reality that make you realize how fake the threat of the Bughuul is. It simply should have been left as a catalyst for the family moving and that’s it. Shannyn Sossamon is as good as her character lets her be…honestly I’ve always had a soft spot for her and wondered why she never made it further in Hollywood. James Ransone is surprisingly likeable and, much like Sossamon, does everything he can with the material he’s given and the result is definitely on the plus side. The real problem with the film is that it’s a sequel…I know that sounds like a cop out but follow me on this. What made Sinister so effective was the suspense and mystery…not knowing the motivation, what was happening to these kids that disappeared and even what the bad guy looked like, he was basically a shadow until the last act of the film. With a sequel all of that is taken away and what you are left with is a standard horror film in the style of the current generation which equates to a lot of jump scares, a creepy atmosphere, and creepier kids. That last part really gets to me, creepy kids get me the way clowns get a lot of other people, being that I have a little girl that just turned one I’m terrified of the nights when she walks into our doorway at 3AM for a glass of water. A little girl should never see her father cry, but mine will.
It’s hard for me to not recommend Sinister 2 to you, thought I would say a theater visit is not necessary. It’s an effective horror movie and if that’s what you’re in the mood for this film will definitely deliver 90 minutes of fear. The problem I have is really just a consequence of the fact that it’s a sequel to a truly original and effective horror film. I suppose if the Bughuul was more a monster in the sense of a Jason Voorhees or a Michael Myers it wouldn’t matter that the film relied on tropes the way it does but in these movies the monster is more the vehicle, the boatman on the river Styx if you will. So now that you know what’s below the water and the only way they have to scare you is to have things jump out at the boat every now and then you lose almost everything that made the original special. The bottom line? A good Friday night rental if you’re looking to have your date jump at a scare and end up just a little bit closer, a wingman style horror movie.
2.5 out of 5 Guttenbergs
