Sinister 2
2015 · United States · 97 min
- Director
- Ciaran Foy
- Screenplay
- Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
- Producer
- Scott Derrickson, Jason Blum, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
- Music
- Tomandandy
- Cinematography
- Amy Vincent
- Editing
- Ken Blackwell
- Production company
- Blumhouse Productions
Cast
What it is about
A year after the tragedy that shook the Oswalt family, a former deputy known as So & So keeps digging into the murders linked to the sinister entity Bughuul. Meanwhile, Courtney and her twin sons, Dylan and Zach, move into an isolated farmhouse to escape an abusive husband. There, Dylan begins suffering nightmares and forms a strange bond with some children who show him unsettling recordings. When the detective arrives with the intention of investigating, he discovers the house is not empty and that the land's past is tied to the case he is trying to solve. The film mixes police mystery and supernatural horror, relying on a tense rural setting and a threat that draws steadily closer.
How it was made
The film is a sequel to Sinister (2012) and reunites screenwriters Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, although Derrickson did not direct it. Ciarán Foy took over as director after the project was announced in 2014, with Blumhouse Productions producing. James Ransone returned as the detective, while Shannyn Sossamon played the mother. Principal photography began in Chicago in August 2014 and lasted about six weeks, with filming in locations including St. Anne and outside the village of Grant Park. Unlike the original, which built its story around home movies shot on 8 mm film, this sequel uses 16 mm film, vinyl records and ham radio broadcasts as plot devices. Tomandandy composed the score and Amy Vincent served as cinematographer.
Reception and legacy
The film was released in the United States on August 21, 2015, distributed by Focus Features through its Gramercy label. Critics were largely unfavorable: it holds a 14% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 91 reviews, and Metacritic gave it 32 out of 100. Reviewers faulted its jump scares, horror clichés and story, though Ransone's performance drew some praise. At the box office it grossed about 53 million dollars against a reported budget of 10 million, less than its predecessor. The franchise nonetheless remained open to future entries, and in 2023 Scott Derrickson said he was interested in returning to it, while acknowledging that this sequel had not taken the right approach.
Stills
Trailer
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Trivia
A different recording format
Unlike the first film, which used 8 mm, this sequel incorporates 16 mm film, vinyl records and ham radio into its storyline.
A change behind the camera
Scott Derrickson co-wrote the film but did not direct it; Ciarán Foy took over the director's chair.
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