Movie review: Sinister 2

Courtney and her twin boys move into a deserted house hoping to escape their abusive husband and father. Instead they find a house marked for death by way of introduction to Mr. Boogie; a demonic spirit devoted to collecting the souls of children.

James Ransone (Ex-Deputy So & So), Shannyn Sossamon (Courtney), Robert Sloan (Dylan), Dartanian Sloan (Zach), Lea Coco (Clint), Tate Ellington (Dr. Stomberg), John Beasley (Father Rodriguez), Lucas Zumann (Milo), Jaden Klein (Ted), Laila Haley (Emma), Caden Fritz (Peter), Olivia Rainey (Catherine).

Sinister 2 begins well enough as a continuation of the story from the original. Ex-Deputy So & So is back and still struggling to understand, and stop, Mr. Boogie who is collecting the souls of children. Super 8 movies are still a main focus, as are the unusual forms of murder, and the intermittent appearance by Mr. Boogie.

Yet, this sequel is a disappointment after seeing the first film. The role of Mr. Boogie and how he controls the children is never well explained. And a couple of plot twists actually end up being plot holes which is disappointing after lengthy buildup. There are some good BOO moments, and the storyline does have potential, but execution is lacking in this addition to the franchise.

Acting, which helped save this one, was pretty good. Ransone steps up in a larger role and pulls it off pretty well. Most of the time. Sossamon was enjoyable and fit her role well. Robert Sloan did very well with good fit and emotional delivery. Dartanian Sloan was okay but felt like he reached his limit a couple of times. Zumann, Klein, and the remainder of the 'ghost children' were enjoyable and overall the cast did a nice job.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were minimalistic but solid and fit the film well. CGI and effects, including action scenes, were good with some nice scary moments and realistic action. Dialogue was okay, a bit campy at times, but overall decent. A bit more explanation around some key plot points would have helped. Sound and soundtrack were mild but solid.

Sinister 2 is not an easy movie to review. Compared to the original this one is disappointing. As a stand-alone film I think it fails completely and those who haven't seen the first film will be even more disappointed. With knowledge from the first film, this one ends up being a mediocre horror flick that will likely kill any interest in a third film.

With plenty of graphic violence and gore, some foul language, and disturbing scenes, save this one for older teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 8.8.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Serial Killers, Horror, Supernatural Horror, Thriller, Mystery

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel