Before Ethan Hawke played the intense villain The Grabber in 2022's The Black Phone, he portrayed true crime writer Ellison Oswalt in the 2012 horror movie Sinister, which has a gripping story and terrifying ending. One of the best films produced by Blumhouse, Sinister grossed $82,515,113 globally, according to Box Office Mojo, and impressed horror fans with its intensely creepy demon and Hawke's great acting.
From the dark final image to the memorable events of the last few minutes, the ending of the beloved horror movie Sinister is as intelligent as the rest of the movie. It fits into the category of horror movies with intensely sad conclusions that don't pull any punches and are sure to stay with audiences for a very long time.
What Is Sinister About?
Ethan Hawke's two horror movies Sinister And The Black Phone have memorable quotes, and while there's something undeniably eerie about The Grabber, there's no denying how emotional and scary Sinister is. Hawke's character, Ellison Oswalt, has made a living writing true crime books, and he and his family move into a new home. While this is the way that many horror movies begin, this isn't an ordinary haunted house movie with cliches.
Ellison comes across tapes of brutal murders and violence, realizing that the Stevenson family who used to live in this house were killed. When he sees the demon Bughuul, he puts the pieces together and realizes that he needs to save his family... unless it's too late. Sinister is interesting because it's clear from the start that Ellison isn't sure that he's going to win, which sets him apart from other horror movie main characters.
Although Sinister is a truly scary movie, Ethan Hawke told MTV News in an interview that he loved making it. He said that he had wondered if it would be too intense to star in a horror film before but he realized that wasn't the case.
Hawke said, "I really believe that's why for years I never wanted to make one of these movies is because I thought it would be absolutely terrifying to make it. But the irony is of course that it's incredibly fun to make it. It's kind of like telling a ghost story at midnight with a bunch of friends. You just laugh a lot and it seems really silly. I just had a great time making it. I'm not really one of those mad enthusiasts of the genre. I like certain scary movies that are good, but, I don't know, it just was silly and fun."
What Happens At The End Of Sinister?
Sinister has a satisfying horror movie ending that is still undeniably eerie. Ellison realizes that his daughter Ashley (Claire Foley) is trying to kill him when he feels strange and sees weird green liquid in his coffee cup. He passes out, but not before seeing the words "Good night, Daddy" that Ashley wrote for him on a piece of paper.
Ellison learns too late that Bughuul possessed Ashley and she points a camera at him. Before telling her family that they will be "famous again" now that they are about to die in such a gruesome manner, she murders them all. Bughuul is one of the most terrifying movie demons because he influences innocent children to murder their families. It's definitely hard to think of something worse than that.
The final images of the movie are haunting and disturbing. Ashley finds the box of videos that contain the truth about everyone who Bughuul has killed and draws what she just did to her family members. Bughuul takes Ashley, goes into the movie, and then leaps out at the people watching Sinister.
The Sinister ending is going to stay with audiences because the movie makes clear that the next people who move into the house will find the box of videos along with the movie that Ashley made called House Painting '12.
The Sinister ending works not only because Bughuul is one of the best Blumhouse horror movie villains but because it's the opposite of a happy ending. It's easy to assume that Ellison will find a way to protect himself and his family from Bughuul and get out alive, but instead, Ashley kills everyone. It's a brutal and dark way to conclude the story but works since it proves how no one can escape this demon.
Where Can You Watch Sinister?
Horror fans can watch Sinister on HBO Max. They can also rent it on DirecTV or AppleTV. Whether someone has seen the terrifying movie and wants a repeat viewing, or they haven't checked it out yet, Sinister's compelling story, strong characters, and gruesome ending make it one of the most well-crafted horror movies released in the 2010s.
While some Blumhouse horror sequels are unnecessary, including Sinister 2, which was released in 2015, the original Sinister is definitely worth watching whether for the first or tenth time.