Theatrical Review: Sinister 2 (2015)

I originally saw Sinister 2 back in September, but with the prep we needed to do for our Halloween festivities in October, I never sat down to write it up. Shame on me, I know, but them's the breaks.

Now that December is here though, it's time to play catch-up with all of the reviews that have been waiting in the wings so that we can get our year end Best/Worst Of 2015 lists ready to go.

With all of that said, Sinister 2 may not be as creepy as the first one was (our review of Sinister HERE), but it's a decent effort in its own way. Just a less scary one.

Everyone's favorite supernatural Boogey Man, Butthole, is back! Oh yes, he's back to claim the souls of more children by making them watch snuff movies and kill their families, and this time, he's set his sights on the twin sons (Dylan and Zach) of a sassy MILF (Courtney) who is on the run from her abusive husband. She's wisely decided to take up residence in an isolated farmhouse that just so happens to have a church where a heinous mass-murder has occurred, which makes their situation even worse. 

YOU DUN GOOFED.

Since the events of the first movie, Deputy So & So (now an ex-deputy) has been going around burning down the houses involved in Butthole's sinister game, so as not to allow him to kill anymore families and and add anymore kids to his creepy posse. When he meets the sassy MILF, who is staying in one of the homes associated with Butthole, he gets her drunk and tries to bang her, which shows just how human and emotionally vulnerable he is. He's all heart, really.

SCOUNDREL!

Butthole's gang of ghost kids shows up and coaxes young Dylan into watching the 8MM 16MM films of each of their family's murders, because somehow that will get him to kill his family, and allow him to join their ranks, even though we don't know what in the hell the point of it all is, or why the whole process has to be so damned complicated. Honestly though, why does Butthole claim the souls of children to begin with? Just to help him claim more children? What is your endgame, Butthole?

Supernatural hi-jinks ensue.

THIS ISN'T GOING TO END WELL.

Sinister 2 does not offer quite as many scares as the first movie did, but for some reason, we still found ourselves enjoying it almost as much as the original, even despite its flaws. I suppose it's James Ransone's Ex-Deputy So & So who made this sequel work as well as it did, as he's pretty much the star of the show. His interaction with Courtney, played by the ever-sexy Shannyn Sossaman, created a level of emotional drama that actually played well. Compelling characters are always a good thing.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

As for Bughuul and his creepy kid cult, they weren't quite as effective as they were in the first movie (mainly because they were on-screen all the damn time, and and after a while, it made their appearances less creepy), but I personally liked finding out more about them and their origins, especially Bughuul. That Norwegian Hell Call snippet was great, and I'd be fine with them making an entire movie based around that.

NOT REALLY AS CREEPY AS THEY LOOK.

As for what doesn't work so well in Sinister 2... well, it just wasn't all that scary. Interesting and engaging, yes, but it just lacked the intense and eerie atmosphere that was ever-present throughout the first movie. It felt like a retread at some points, even though it was doing a lot of things right.

The kill movies were cool too, but for some reason they felt less impactful and disturbing that the ones in the first movie did. It was kinda like how the traps in the Saw movies had less of a wow factor in the later movies. They were good, they just felt a bit too familiar.

NASTY LITTLE FILMS, THOSE.

Destroy all 8MM 16MM cameras (they upgraded for the sequel), because they're evil. Also, Shannyn Sossaman makes for one hell of a fine MILF.

SHE'S HOT EVEN WITH THAT UGLY SWEATER ON.

Not as good as the first one, but way better than most critics gave it credit for (it earned a horrid 14% on Rotten Tomatoes), Sinister 2 is a sequel that is a bit light on the scares, but big on ideas and character. We really liked James Ransone in the lead role, and the background that we got on Bughuul and his potential origins sucked us in and made us want more.

If you liked the first one, then temper your expectations a bit and give this one a go. It makes for a nice companion piece, if nothing else.

B

Sinister 2 will be available on VOD on December 22nd, and Blu-ray & DVD on January 12th.

There's nothing sinister about Shannyn "Sassy" Sossaman at all.