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31 for 31 Part 10: Sinister
A creepy supernatural film
Ethane Hawke stars as true crime writer Ellison Oswald in this supernatural horror film. Ellison moved his family to a small town in Pennsylvania after his writing career had hit a slump. The town had recently had a family brutally murdered, hung from a tree in their yard; however, one of the daughters had disappeared.
Little does his family know that the house was the site of the murder. Ellison is hoping that investing in the murder will reinvigorate his career. He finds film reels in the attic that appear to be family home movies. However, when he watches the films, he discovers that they each depict a family being murdered in various ways.
He discovers that one of the children has disappeared with each of these killings, going back decades. He also notices strange symbols and figures hidden in each film. Ellison soon experiences strange occurrences in and around the house. After consulting a professor, it is revealed that the mysterious figure is a pagan god named Bughull. The Oswalds soon are haunted by the spirits of children.
Ellison soon finds himself entangled in Bughull's actions and attempts to save his family. I don’t want to give away the ending, but it is a film that will stick with you for a while. It’s one of my wife’s favorite movies and is usually on our Halloween watch list.
A sequel came out in 2015 to mixed reviews. It continues the story of the cult of Bughull, but it does not live up to its predecessor. However, there are talks of another film in the near future, so the third time may be the charm.