SINISTER (2012)

Truth be known, I'd tried watching this film a few times, but within the first fifteen minutes it'd always freak me out.  Having now seen it ... Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a true-crime writer whose first and best book was ten years ago.  His two books since have been plagued by claims of bad writing and irresponsible journalism, which is why - money running dry - he jumps at the chance to move (unbeknownst to his wife or kids), for a bargain, into the suburban home of the Stevenson family - four of the five of whom were recently murdered, hung from a tree in the backyard (the fifth, a child, disappeared that same night).  Stoked at finding the subject of his next bestseller, Ellison also finds gold via a box in his attic, containing a super 8 film projector along with innocently-labeled "home movies" that turn out to be actual filmed recordings, not only of the Stevenson's families execution, but those of other families (truly, these extremely real-looking, grainy and jumpy "home movies" are the most disturbing images of the film) .  As Ellis tracks down a connection, he also finds creepy things going on in the house, and with his family ... in one of the most legitimately scary horror films I have seen in some time.  A unique twist on the "found footage" film genre still so popular right now, Sinister - while having some requisite jump scares and a scene or two of "Okay, lets get on with it" exposition - also manages to really creep the snot out of you; it crawls under your skin and stays there, with unsettling images that hearken back to the kind of horror movies not seen much today: ones that cut away just prior to the most graphic parts, allowing your own brain to fill in images of what would be even more horrific for you.  It also has the perfect ending; one that, just as you're fully realizing what is actually going on, will smack you in the forehead like a rock.  Worthy of this extra-long review, Sinister is by far the best truly scary horror film I've seen in years - and unless you prefer your scares with buckets of gore, instead of getting your mind f*cked, you'll probably think so, too. (rated R)  A

(No trailer, sorry; what trailers I could find, I felt ruined a few surprises in the film - and Sinister is definitely a movie you want to go into knowing as little as possible!  Please search for a trailer on your own, if you like - but you've been warned!)