Sinister 2 2015

In the eerie sequel Sinister 2, directorial duties shift gears from the nostalgic nostalgia of Super 8 film to a medley of found footage mediums, including vinyl records, ham radio broadcasts, and grainy 16mm film. The cinematic tapestry begins to unfurl with a haunting 16mm home movie depicting three individuals bound to rustic crosses in a desolate cornfield, where one unfortunate soul meets their fiery demise.

Meanwhile, Deputy So & So (character), once a stalwart of the law, now walks a different path as a private investigator haunted by the Oswalt case’s dark legacy. His days are filled with a morbid fascination for burning down houses he believes were visited by the malevolent entity Bughuul, an act both cathartic and futile.

In a separate narrative thread, Courtney (character), a mother of two twin boys, Dylan and Zach, finds herself in a desperate bid to evade her abusive ex-husband’s hired goons. Her precarious existence culminates in a hasty escape with her sons from the supermarket, where they narrowly avoid capture by a pervert stalking them. Seeking solace, Courtney leads her family to a decrepit farmhouse, where they’ve been hiding in plain sight for some time.

As Dylan struggles to shake off the grip of recurring nightmares, his not-so-imaginary friend Milo (one of Bughuul’s victims), materializes to offer a grim reprieve from his son’s terrors. Milo regales Dylan with a series of disturbing 16mm snuff reels, each a gruesome vignette depicting families meeting their demise in various ways: gobbled by alligators on Fishing Trip, frozen in the snow on Christmas Morning, electrocuted on Kitchen Remodeling, and disembowelled by rats in a church on Sunday School.

As the horrors of Milo’s films seep into Dylan’s psyche, his younger brother Zach begins to exhibit disturbing behavior eerily reminiscent of their abusive father. The once-innocent child now spews vitriol at his mother and brother, resorting to physical violence against Dylan. As tensions escalate within the crumbling farmhouse, it becomes increasingly clear that Bughuul’s dark influence has set its sights on this unsuspecting family, forever entwining them in a cycle of terror and despair.

As Deputy arrives at the house, he is met with a tense standoff between Courtney and himself, each refusing to back down from their respective positions. Initially unaware of the true nature of his presence, the deputy is taken aback by Courtney’s fierce determination to protect her home and family. However, as the misunderstanding dissipates, an unexpected turn of events unfolds, as Deputy reveals his gruesome investigation into a series of cold cases that have haunted him since the brutal murder of his best friend, Ellison Oswalt. The somber tone gives way to a sense of urgency, as Courtney grants the deputy permission to explore the nearby church where the heinous rat murder took place.

As the deputy delves deeper into the mysteries of the church, he is confronted with a plethora of unsettling and inexplicable paranormal occurrences that threaten to disrupt his resolve. Just as he thinks things cannot get any stranger, Clint bursts onto the scene, accompanied by a team of cops, demanding that the boys come forth to meet him. However, Deputy’s unwavering commitment to protecting the boys and exposing Clint’s abuse ultimately repels the unwanted visitors.

As the night wears on, Courtney invites the deputy to share a meal with her family, allowing him to demonstrate his compassionate nature. This newfound connection prompts her to extend an olive branch, permitting him to spend the night on their living room couch before departing for his motel. The following morning, Deputy awakens to scrutinize crime scene photos, only to be joined by Courtney as they venture out onto the porch. As the night’s chill dissipates, Courtney opens up about her tumultuous past with Clint, and the deputy finds solace in sharing his own experiences of being a victim of abuse.

As their conversation reaches its emotional peak, the two share a fleeting yet poignant kiss, marking a turning point in their complicated relationship. The next morning, Deputy embarks on a journey to visit Dr. Stromberg, who delivers shocking news: Professor Jonas, a key figure from the original Sinister film, has gone missing. Furthermore, Dr. Stromberg reveals a disturbing recording on a HAM radio, featuring a child speaking in Norwegian before brutally slaughtering their family. The chilling translation – “I can’t hear Bughuul over your yelling, mom!” – serves as a stark reminder of the malevolent force that lurks at the heart of this twisted world.

As Deputy demands that the incriminating evidence be destroyed, the dark truth about Bughuul’s ability to traverse art forms (books, film, music, and drawings) begins to unravel, casting a foreboding shadow over the proceedings.

As the darkness descends, Courtney and her sons are whisked away by Clint, leaving Zach to indulge in a gruesome ritual: watching the disturbing film “Dental Work,” where a man undergoes a tooth extraction without anesthesia. Meanwhile, Deputy arrives to rescue them, only to be brutally beaten by Clint and threatened with murder, prompting him to flee. The next day, Dylan sends out a desperate plea for help through texts, while Zach becomes increasingly unhinged, capturing his family’s torment on 16mm film. He drugs them, binds them to crosses, and sets one ablaze, with Clint’s lifeless form serving as the pyre. As the flames consume him, Deputy bursts onto the scene, crashing into Zach and freeing Courtney and Dylan from their gruesome predicament.

However, before they can escape the clutches of horror, Zach gives chase, armed with a camera and scythe, partially amputating Deputy’s hand in his relentless pursuit. The trio manages to flee back to the farmhouse, only to find Milo and the other deceased children wreaking havoc on the property, room by room. They crush Deputy beneath a desk and pummel him with golf clubs, but just as Zach is about to deliver the final blow to Courtney and Dylan, Deputy smashes the camera, exposing the film to the light and reducing it to nothingness.

Zach’s anguished cries of “NO!” echo through the air as he flees to the basement, only to be cornered by the vengeful spirits. The dead children converge on him, their worried faces beseeching him not to forget that Bughuul awaits to claim their souls. As they vanish into thin air, Bughuul’s spectral hand touches Zach’s shoulder, transforming him into a pile of ashes.

With Deputy, Courtney, and Dylan now free from the farmhouse’s clutches, they make their way back to Deputy’s motel room. But as he settles in, the HAM radio on the nightstand crackles to life, broadcasting the haunting chants of the dead children: “It’s the kids! It’s the kids! It’s the kids… DEPUTY!!!” Just then, Bughuul’s face materializes before him, leaving Deputy to meet his own demise.