I don't think Sinister 2 was better than the first but in some respects it was at the very least as good as. I think the cast wasn't quite as strong and it didn't have the experience and Hollywood clout that Ethan Hawke brought to the table. Still, it does give it a more indie feel and really builds on the Bughuul lore that is built up in the first one. I love this legend they've created in this series and it could be a long term franchise if they handle it right. They still sort of leave Bughuul in the background of the story although its less so the case in the sequel but I think we really need an entry in the series that brings him to the forefront. Makes him a truly evil and viable foe. One of the creepiest and best parts of the first film was the use of the 8MM films that Hawke finds in his attic and this film realizes that aspect and uses it even more making them in depth and even more disturbing and a really vital part of the story. Fortunately they don't overdo it but they are definitely used a lot. The tension is there although not quite as much as the first and the pacing was a little slower. There was also a few key plot holes that I couldn't get past but overall this is a worthy sequel that horror fans will enjoy. I'm still waiting for them to really take the series to new heights because the potential is there.
There is nothing more that I love than a protagonist returning in a horror series. In this case you have a bit character from the first one played by James Ransone who I thought should have had a bigger role in the first one. He is now the lead and he's actually very charismatic. He has a sort of bizarre personality, very awkward and nervous seeming but it suits his character and somehow it doesn't come across as campy. I hope he comes back again in the future and perhaps we will learn why we have not been giving his character's name yet in two films. Shannyn Sossamon plays the single Mom protecting her two boys on an abandoned farm. Sossamon, much like Ransone, has an awkward almost nervous quality about her and some of her lines aren't delivered the best but it works for her and she is decent in the role. Her and Ransone have good chemistry that is left mostly unexplored. Real life brothers Robert Daniel Sloan and Dartanian Sloan play Sossamon's sons that are targeted by Bughuul. Both do a great job and actually shine more than the adult cast. The twist involving them isn't much of one but they both do a great job regardless. Lea Coco is also good in a small role as their abusive father. I would have rather seen him get a better ending because they establish him as a really awful person early on.
Sinister 2 lacks a lot of expertise. It doesn't have any big Hollywood experience behind it either on cast or crew. Director Ciaran Foy has very little experience behind the camera and while I think he does add a distinctive indie quality to the film, it needs someone with a more experienced eye to really make it jump. It even feels a little bit rushed but I'm glad they connect it to the first film but I hope they go a little bigger with a third instalment and use this as more of a bridge between the two. There are definitely some genuinely scary moments and it gets under your skin much like the first one did but its just lacking a certain something. The first film felt like it was paying an homage to Stephen King and this one continues that feel as well. I kept thinking how much some of the scenery and certain scenes felt like "Children of The Corn" and then I come to find out that there intention was to pay respects to exactly that story so they are successful in that vein. The setting definitely has a feeling of isolation and creepy backwater locales. Definitely worth watching but won't impress you like the original. 7/10
There is nothing more that I love than a protagonist returning in a horror series. In this case you have a bit character from the first one played by James Ransone who I thought should have had a bigger role in the first one. He is now the lead and he's actually very charismatic. He has a sort of bizarre personality, very awkward and nervous seeming but it suits his character and somehow it doesn't come across as campy. I hope he comes back again in the future and perhaps we will learn why we have not been giving his character's name yet in two films. Shannyn Sossamon plays the single Mom protecting her two boys on an abandoned farm. Sossamon, much like Ransone, has an awkward almost nervous quality about her and some of her lines aren't delivered the best but it works for her and she is decent in the role. Her and Ransone have good chemistry that is left mostly unexplored. Real life brothers Robert Daniel Sloan and Dartanian Sloan play Sossamon's sons that are targeted by Bughuul. Both do a great job and actually shine more than the adult cast. The twist involving them isn't much of one but they both do a great job regardless. Lea Coco is also good in a small role as their abusive father. I would have rather seen him get a better ending because they establish him as a really awful person early on.
Sinister 2 lacks a lot of expertise. It doesn't have any big Hollywood experience behind it either on cast or crew. Director Ciaran Foy has very little experience behind the camera and while I think he does add a distinctive indie quality to the film, it needs someone with a more experienced eye to really make it jump. It even feels a little bit rushed but I'm glad they connect it to the first film but I hope they go a little bigger with a third instalment and use this as more of a bridge between the two. There are definitely some genuinely scary moments and it gets under your skin much like the first one did but its just lacking a certain something. The first film felt like it was paying an homage to Stephen King and this one continues that feel as well. I kept thinking how much some of the scenery and certain scenes felt like "Children of The Corn" and then I come to find out that there intention was to pay respects to exactly that story so they are successful in that vein. The setting definitely has a feeling of isolation and creepy backwater locales. Definitely worth watching but won't impress you like the original. 7/10