Some pretty terrifying movies have come out in recent years, from the scariest horror movie of 2023, “Skinamarink,” to one of the nastiest in recent memory, “Terrifier 3.” But there is no science to support the fears of these films. However, a study showed that 2012’s “Sinister” was the scariest film ever made, and while such claims are ultimately subjective, this supernatural horror film is actually quite difficult to experience. If you haven’t yet attempted such a feat, you can now do so with a Hulu subscription…if you dare.
Directed by Scott Derrickson, who also co-wrote the film with former critic C. Robert Cargill, “Sinister” stars Ethan Hawke as true crime writer Ellison Oswalt. With the struggling author’s glory days long behind him, he attempts to write another bestselling book by doing what any man in his position would do: he moves his family into a house where the previous owners were murdered – hanged, to be precise. Oh, and he doesn’t tell any of them about the whole hanging thing. As such, “Sinister” is both a horror film and a character study of a man so possessed by the urge to succeed that he puts those closest to him in danger (literally).
Oswalt soon finds a box of home movies in the attic of his new home, each of which turns out to be a snuff film depicting the murders of several families in the house over the years. In time, he also discovers that a supernatural figure has orchestrated the murders, leading him further into the darkness as he continues his investigation. It might not seem like such a big deal, but just watching the opening sequence is enough to make you feel overcome with fear.
Watch Sinister for some science-backed warnings
“Sinister” begins with a chilling scene in which a family is hanging from a tree. Shot on real Super 8 film (like all the other snuff sequences), this terrifying opening is only made worse when you know what went into making it. (One stuntman almost hanged himself after initial attempts went wrong.) And while the film has its share of scares and horror tropes, it’s also full of those disturbing Super 8 sequences in which families are killed in heartbreaking fashion. These are by far the most difficult parts of “Sinister” to watch and the main contributors to the film’s reputation as one of the scariest ever made.
On this point, it seems that science agrees. At least one study carried out by broadbandchoices (a tool for comparing broadband offers in the United Kingdom) supports these assertions. As Forbes reports, the site’s “Science of Scare Project” tracked the heart rates of 50 people as they watched more than 100 hours of horror films. The results were used to come up with a list of films that raised participants’ heart rates the most, which broadbandchoices called a list of the 35 scariest films ever made. At the top? “Sinister,” which apparently raised viewers’ heart rates from an average resting rate of 65 BPM to 86 BPM.
Anyone who has seen “Sinister” doesn’t need a study to know that it’s one of the scariest films ever made. The lingering sense of doom that comes from watching Super 8 footage of sent-up families, combined with the underlying feeling that Ellison Oswalt is subconsciously willing to sacrifice his own family to succeed, are more than enough. As far as disturbing horror films go, “Sinister” is one of the best and well worth streaming this Halloween.
