Focus Features | Release Date: August 21, 2015
5.8
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Mixed or average reviews based on 181 Ratings
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Positive:
75
Mixed:
53
Negative:
53
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5
ydnar4Aug 21, 2015
Good horror movies are few and far between and good horror sequels are even more rare. I had my hopes up for Sinister 2 because I was really surprised with how much I loved the first one and I think it was by far my favorite horror movie soGood horror movies are few and far between and good horror sequels are even more rare. I had my hopes up for Sinister 2 because I was really surprised with how much I loved the first one and I think it was by far my favorite horror movie so far in the decade, however, one of the reasons that I enjoyed the first movie so much was because of Ethan Hawke's performance and it was obvious that he was not going to return for the second movie. They did bring back the deputy sheriff (James Ransone) from the first movie as one of the main characters so at least it wasn't all completely new actors.

One of the good things about Sinister 2 is that the story really starts to expand what we learn from the first movie, but there is just too much more going on other than the horror story and those other plot elements are not nearly as interesting. There is still lots of the old terrifying footage shot on the retro camera that I really enjoyed from the first film.

James Ransone really didn't have the ability to hold down one of the leading roles either. He really wasn't good at portraying certain emotions without sounding really sarcastic. There were some elements of Sinister 2 that were nearly as good as the first but there weren't many moments in the film that were. I would recommend this for a big horror fan but I wouldn't check this movie out until it hits DVD.
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3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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4
KadeemluvmusicAug 23, 2015
Sinister 2 was a bit okay, but I don't see anything scary about this sequel that sometimes it gives great new ideas but otherwise the rest of the story is recycled somewhere. The cast is great, I still love Ethan Hawke. I felt that Sinister 2Sinister 2 was a bit okay, but I don't see anything scary about this sequel that sometimes it gives great new ideas but otherwise the rest of the story is recycled somewhere. The cast is great, I still love Ethan Hawke. I felt that Sinister 2 is worn out and it should've been a decent movie. But I'd prefer Sinister 1 as my favorite time of horror movies I could watch right now. I think audiences (including myself) are going to be disappointed with this one. I hope there's not going to be another Sinister sequel, but it needs to take a break and probably just leave the original to where it stands. Wait for it on Netflix. Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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6
quincytheodoreSep 1, 2015
Lighter on the terror, thought the new cast sympathetically keeps the tension running.

Sinister had a good premise and twist that separated it from ordinary horror flick. This also means it was relying on the mystery aspect that was
Lighter on the terror, thought the new cast sympathetically keeps the tension running.

Sinister had a good premise and twist that separated it from ordinary horror flick. This also means it was relying on the mystery aspect that was revealed at the end. The sequel loses the luxury of having the paranormal riddle. Instead of completely rehearsing the plot it utilizes different perspective and personalities, then combines it with dreadful bits to make a terrifying spectacle.

Resuming the events from previous movie, now Ex-Deputy (James Ransone) is trying to sever the haunting circle by destroying the houses it affected. Unfortunately, there's a new family of mother (Shannyn Sossamon) and two sons who occupies one particular house. They are in danger of repeating the same terrible fate as previous victims, especially the children.

James Ransone is a much different lead than Ethan Hawke was, he's more timid and less intense, but he looks very decent which should endear audience to his valiant effort. There's good chemistry with Shannyn Sossamon who is a great cast for the mother role, just like in TV series Wayward Pines. The two are not the typical family or paranormal whiz of recent horror movies, and this gives the characters a sense of urgency.

There are bits of usual investigation involved, but the main draw is the perverted twist on the children and the eerie clips they made. These short clips are like snuff movies from children's point of view and presented with old cryptic filter. It may seem a bit similar to that of first film, but they are dauntingly effective and much more diverse.

The children themselves don't look menacing and often seem like superficial apparitions. Unlike the original movie which displayed them sparsely, their appearance here is overexposed. It may have worked if viewers were introduced more to the children or the child abuse issue was treated with more polished, although unfortunately there's not much depth on the youngling characters.

For most parts the scare looks average, coupling a few jump scares and taking hints from creepypastas. It loses the steam towards latter end since it becomes a tad predictable and the ghostly kids are hardly frightening, however the characters are adequately presentable which should keep audience invested throughout the unworldly predicament.
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2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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4
TheDude-Sep 4, 2015
despite having some interesting ideas sinister 2 is a very non scary horror film that is a complete copy of of the first film and is clearly just repeating stuff in the first film that people liked but in this sequel none of these things havedespite having some interesting ideas sinister 2 is a very non scary horror film that is a complete copy of of the first film and is clearly just repeating stuff in the first film that people liked but in this sequel none of these things have a purpose in this sequel. Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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5
BrianMcCriticAug 21, 2015
Though this film fails to reach the level of the original, I still thought the film brought enough new ideas to the table to make it watchable. The videos did start to borderline on the ridiculous and the side plot regarding the father wasThough this film fails to reach the level of the original, I still thought the film brought enough new ideas to the table to make it watchable. The videos did start to borderline on the ridiculous and the side plot regarding the father was just an excuse to kill a bad guy. Overall Sinister 2 is film you can wait to see on video. C+ Expand
7 of 8 users found this helpful71
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4
tjman09Sep 21, 2015
Sinister 2 is dumb, clichéd, and worst of all not scary. What made
Sinister good, was that it capitalized on it's opportunities to scare,
and gave the audience what it wanted, horror. Sinister 2 abandons the approach of the first film, and
Sinister 2 is dumb, clichéd, and worst of all not scary. What made
Sinister good, was that it capitalized on it's opportunities to scare,
and gave the audience what it wanted, horror. Sinister 2 abandons the
approach of the first film, and looses all horror, besides the few jump
scares, the film isn't even remotely scary. The lack of horror, and
poor acting, leads to the film being very dull. The characters are
underdeveloped, the film falls back on horror clichés, the story lacks
any intelligence or depth, and there's almost no humor. So in the end,
Sinister 2 is a dumb, dull, clichéd, sequel that completely abandons
the things the original film did well, most importantly the horror.
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2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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6
LamontRaymondAug 21, 2015
There are a TON of terrible horror movies released in this era, but this is certainly not one of them. Sure, there are some needless jump-scares, but there concept is sound, and it's sufficiently creepy without being gratuitous. The leadThere are a TON of terrible horror movies released in this era, but this is certainly not one of them. Sure, there are some needless jump-scares, but there concept is sound, and it's sufficiently creepy without being gratuitous. The lead actors are great. Expand
3 of 5 users found this helpful32
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5
ProctoriousAug 27, 2015
This movie is fairly hard to review for me, I adored the first one, it instantly became a classic in my books but this movie was...just... I don't know, It wasn't bad but it wasn't good, I suppose it was just alright and I don't really haveThis movie is fairly hard to review for me, I adored the first one, it instantly became a classic in my books but this movie was...just... I don't know, It wasn't bad but it wasn't good, I suppose it was just alright and I don't really have anything else to say :/ Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
MattBrady99Sep 1, 2015
Just seen Sinister 2 and wow it was a giant piece of **** All the kid actors sucked, the writing was **** and it was very disappointing.

I originally wasn't going to review this movie, because I think this review is late enough and I
Just seen Sinister 2 and wow it was a giant piece of **** All the kid actors sucked, the writing was **** and it was very disappointing.

I originally wasn't going to review this movie, because I think this review is late enough and I didn't want to talk about it since I'm working on other things that I have full interest in, but then I notice very quickly that those in depth reviews many take awhile to be finished and I always want to keep updated on Letterboxd. Right now I'm writing up another review that I want to talk about and that's the 2005 film called "Caché (Hidden)". I've been writing that review for almost six days now and it will up sometime this week.
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1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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5
Ayush333Sep 26, 2015
THE BEST MOVIE(HORROR) I have ever seen!........................................................................................................................................................................
1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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6
BritishWolfSep 15, 2015
Not nearly as mysterious or disturbing as the first film, but the story and character development was decent. If the horror/ creepiness was more refined, I could easily have given this film a 7 or 8.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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5
DirigiblePulpDec 8, 2016
There's actually a solid story at the center of this but it gets lost in slapdash scare scenes and a nonsensical, anti-climactic ending. If the movie had focused a bit more on the boys and especially the one's specific alienation from theThere's actually a solid story at the center of this but it gets lost in slapdash scare scenes and a nonsensical, anti-climactic ending. If the movie had focused a bit more on the boys and especially the one's specific alienation from the abuse at the hands of his father, there could have maybe been something special here. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
LeZeeJul 14, 2016
What's the most dangerous? The dark force or the evil father.

The first film was good, I enjoyed it, but not scary. So a sequel was expected and it failed to live up to the standards of the original. I would say, it was a decent horror
What's the most dangerous? The dark force or the evil father.

The first film was good, I enjoyed it, but not scary. So a sequel was expected and it failed to live up to the standards of the original. I would say, it was a decent horror film, with more story and drama than the creepy atmosphere. One character retained from the previous and the core theme remained, but tried a different method of narration. Something like 'Goodnight Mommy' with two brothers and mystery events surrounding them.

It definitely lacks what a horror film required the most, and predictable too. But the story wise, it was decent, because the actors did a good job. So it is an average film. I expected a better ending and it did not conclude at its best leaving me disappointing. The way it ended might have been the suitable for the story, but I wasn't impressed. Again, another sequel is most certain, so I think this tale is not over yet and chances are very high that the story would follow with the same cast.

It was not a bad flick, but not a follow-up you would have wanted. If you're looking for a genuine horror film, then you should skip it. There's nothing brilliance to appreciate at any level. Overall, I too felt it should have been better in some places. So my advise is if you forget its genre and try to enjoy that you're watching some movie that you don't know its category then surely would have a decent time with it.

4/10
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
LelandskellSep 19, 2016
It's really not that bad. Yes the cop from the first movie is a lead in this one, and I know he sounds sarcastic, but it makes the movie kinda funny. This is a brainless sequel that is simply funny. Ghost kids trying to get one of theIt's really not that bad. Yes the cop from the first movie is a lead in this one, and I know he sounds sarcastic, but it makes the movie kinda funny. This is a brainless sequel that is simply funny. Ghost kids trying to get one of the brothers to watch their stupid home videos was hilarious. The clips themselves may scare young kids but it comes off as comical. I won't spoil any of the clips, as you should just watch the movie once with a couple beers. The demon is shown much more in this film, only to jumpscare the viewer mainly. I definetly liked the Children of the Korn elements and the setting. Not bad 6/10 Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
VieRus8uAug 23, 2015
I would say a fair job, of course not as good as the first movie...but it did a good job telling the story and picking up were the last movie left off. The story could have had more detail tying up the story better, but all in all a goodI would say a fair job, of course not as good as the first movie...but it did a good job telling the story and picking up were the last movie left off. The story could have had more detail tying up the story better, but all in all a good flick.

Oh, Ending could have been better....I hope for a sequel.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
SadHorrorJunkieJan 23, 2016
Its not as scary as the first but it is does have alot more gore which i wanna praise them for cause it looked good and each snuff film segment were creative and different the only one i didnt like was the crocodile one due to the fact thatIts not as scary as the first but it is does have alot more gore which i wanna praise them for cause it looked good and each snuff film segment were creative and different the only one i didnt like was the crocodile one due to the fact that they used CGI that just came out to look bad really bad. this movie (similar to almost every mainstream horror film now a days) resorts to jump scares as an attempt to spook the main stream audience. their is a sense of creepiness in this film that i also enjoyed. the characters were ok i loved the main character though his reaction towards everything going on in the film is very similar to the way the audience or just any regular guy would act hes no macho man. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
FilipeNetoJul 25, 2020
As I have already mentioned several times in other reviews, I see film sequels with some caution, knowing that many of them serve only to raise money from the public and do not reach half the quality of the first film. This case is justAs I have already mentioned several times in other reviews, I see film sequels with some caution, knowing that many of them serve only to raise money from the public and do not reach half the quality of the first film. This case is just another one that follows that line. If the first film was very good and worked quite well, this one has turned out to be much weaker.

In fact, this film repeats, with some nuances, the same formula that we saw in the first one, without the advantage of the element of surprise that worked very well the first time. Once again, we see a house haunted by Bagul, an evil entity that turns children into murderers of their own families. Again, we see an innocent family being victimized by this entity, while a retired policeman, whom we saw briefly in the first film, tries everything to save them.

Ciarán Foy assures the direction whereas Scott Derrickson, who directed and wrote the first film, limited himself to signing the script this time. Maybe that's why the film is never as good as the first. It manages to create a tense atmosphere around the house and the evil that surrounds it, but the fact is that we already know what that evil is and what its capable of, so everything that follows is easy to guess. The film has its good moments, there are some scares that work well and make the film worthwhile, but in general it is much weaker.

James Ransone was good enough in his role and is supported by Shannyn Sossamon, with whom he seems to collaborate quite well and create a convincing chemistry. Robert Daniel Sloan, given his age and inexperience, was very good, while Dartanian Sloan was weaker. At a more technical level, the film closely follows its predecessor, with an elegant and well-made cinematography, especially in the footage that reproduce the home movies. The soundtrack is very good, but it seems copied from the initial film, with slight additions.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
ErikTheCriticSep 26, 2018
This disappointing sequel pays no respect to the original, and is filled with lazy jump scares, bad child acting and ultimately just isn't very scary.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
akshatmahajanMay 24, 2021
Sinister was different horror experience for me. It had well written story, quality actors and a genuinely creepy atmosphere. Main problem with Sinister 2 was that story didn't have that suspense which made original different. Story was verySinister was different horror experience for me. It had well written story, quality actors and a genuinely creepy atmosphere. Main problem with Sinister 2 was that story didn't have that suspense which made original different. Story was very simple. Also, the actors could have perform better. Director tried his best to setup the chilling tone but failed miserably. Overall, would recommend this to those who have watched first part. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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