Sinister

An intense atmosphere of dread and sudden jolts from the darkness fill this compelling, disturbing supernatural shocker from The Exorcism of Emily Rose director Scott Derrickson. A skilful blend of old-school, haunted-house horror and in-vogue found-footage fear, it sees struggling true-crime writer Ethan Hawke research his latest book by moving his family into the actual home where brutal murders took place. There he discovers some home movies containing possible evidence that something decidedly unnatural may be responsible for a string of unexplained deaths and his own children may be in harm's way. Cool in its crafty mood placement, confidently restrained during its nastiest moments and mining provocative lines of devastating nuance, the movie reaches a terrifying crescendo as the grisly Super 8 reels bleed into high-pitched scares. Hawke anchors events superbly as the agonised author whose deteriorating state of mind causes everything he holds dear to shatter.