Sinister 2 is a sequel to the 2012 horror film, but this time around it was directed by Irishman Ciaran Foy. Foy got the job via Twitter – a story which is sadly more interesting than the film itself.
The plot focuses on a single mother and her 9-year-old twins, who move into a haunted house where the children are tormented by the demon Bughuul (otherwise known as the Bogeyman or Mr. Boogie). Bughuul and his cohort of possessed children lure the less bratty of the twins, Dylan, into the basement every night. There he watches a horrific collection of snuff films made by the kids. The idea is that Dylan will eventually murder his family and add his own homemade flick to the pile. Watch out for the twist!
Meanwhile, Ex-Deputy So & So from Sinister (he genuinely doesn’t have a name), played by the goofy James Ransone, is back for more. He is still carrying out an investigation into Bughuul and the associated murders, and serves as a love interest for mum Courtney (Shannyn Sossamon). Almost immediately after meeting the deputy, Courtney tells him that she wishes he was the father of her children. He isn’t scared, despite the fact that this is as much of a warning sign as the evil demon appearing everywhere he goes.
While the atmosphere is creepy and there are plenty of jump scares, the film lacks subtlety and credibility. Kids – even bloodthirsty ones – aren’t that frightening. They are generally small and weak, and there’s no way that they could carry out the elaborate kills seen in the film. Mr. Boogie looks too much like a member of Slipknot to be taken seriously, and is on screen so often that he loses the power to terrify that he had in the first film.
Foy does his best with the material and certain scenes are definitely effective. It could be a fun one to go see as a group (even just to laugh at it) but die-hard horror fans are likely to sneer at this attempt to turn Sinister into a franchise.
Kayla Walsh
