SINISTER 2

Young Courtney, a mother of two children fleeing from an abusive husband who is desperately seeking custody of the kids, moves into a house adjacent to a deconsecrated church where a terrifying ritualistic murder took place. Meanwhile, former deputy sheriff So&So, now a private detective, is searching for specific crime locations to destroy them because he knows these places are crucial to the perpetuation of the demon Buhguul's curse. Inevitably, their stories intertwine, and Buhguul shows a particular interest in Courtney's children. In 2012, "Sinister" was one of BlumHouse Productions' first major successes, powerful enough to spawn a franchise. With a modest budget of just $3 million and worldwide earnings approaching $100 million, the small horror film starring Ethan Hawke was an excellent example of minimalism effectively applied to masterful tension-building. The story of a writer obsessed with the crimes he documents, to the point of becoming the protagonist of an equally macabre and bloody tale, is updated in "Sinister 2" by shifting the focus to other characters. Once again, children are at the center of the narrative, but more prominently compared to Scott Derrickson's film. In this sequel, the childlike dimension is essential to exploring a story that emphasizes cruelty, political incorrectness, and gore. Aware of "Sinister's" twists and the mechanism behind them, this sequel immediately immerses the viewer in the heart of the story from a different perspective. While in the first film, the protagonist gradually uncovered the details of the demon's insidious actions, here, we see the story through the eyes of a child, Buhguul's designated victim. We follow the monster's manipulation through the ghosts of other children he has corrupted to prepare the ritual leading to the sacrifice of an unsuspecting family. With blatant references to a cult classic about young killers like "Children of the Corn" and a key scene from George Romero's masterpiece "Night of the Living Dead" prophetically playing on TV, "Sinister 2" unfolds without major surprises towards an overly rushed ending. The film's effectiveness lies entirely in the terrifying snuff films that young Dylan is forced to watch, which were the true revelation of the first movie. Director Ciarán Foy is well aware of this and heavily focuses on this element, crafting increasingly cruel and elaborate mini-films within the film. "Sinister 2" succeeds in making the inclusion of ghost children in the plot more acceptable, an element that in the previous film felt significantly intrusive, but ultimately creates a sequel that adds nothing to its predecessor. Barely passable!