Sinister 2 (2015)

31 October 2020

This horror sequel is a good example of what not to do when expanding a horror franchise.

They did one or two things ok: they added a little continuity with [Ex-]Deputy So and So - his presence was the only thing that held this movie together at all. They built out the mythos, but they probably should've left it alone. I've found unrequired explanation and exposition to be terrible ideas in horror films.

The Mr. Boogey jump scares and loomings were uninspired and meaningless. The plot inferred the children had a lot of free will in the actions, and put a book report level's effort on murder (one murder seemed like the kid was working on his mousetrap game, or auditioning for Saw). The first film was a lot more ambiguous here, which was a better tactic considering slasher-level killings aren't that common with 10-year olds.

The ending bothers me, both because of the outcome with the family, and the random last scene with the Deputy. The whole film felt like it was trying to establish a franchise, but if this was their best effort after three years they should've left it alone.

Also: The shushing kids get really old, really fast. 3/10