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Sinister 2

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Sinister 2
Two twin boys are standing in front of a wall depicting a ghostly figure seemingly drawn in blood; one smears his hand on the painting and the other shaking his head creating a blur.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCiarán Foy
Written by
Based on
Characters
by 
  • Scott Derrickson
  • C. Robert Cargill
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAmy Vincent
Edited by
  • Michael Trent
  • Tim Alverson
Music bytomandandy
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • August 21, 2015 (2015-08-21)
Running time
97 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[4][5]
Box office$54.1 million[6]

Sinister 2 (stylized in marketing as Sinister II) is a 2015 supernatural horror film directed by Ciarán Foy, and written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. A sequel to Sinister (2012), it stars James Ransone, reprising his role from the original film, and Shannyn Sossamon. The film follows a former deputy as he attempts to end a malevolent deity's curse after encountering a family that has fallen victim to it, while a boy is tormented by the victims who once lived in the house where he now resides with his twin brother and mother.

Unlike the first film, which used 8 mm film for its home movies and snuff films, Sinister 2 incorporates16 mm film, vinyl records, and ham radio broadcasts into its storyline. Sinister 2 was released on August 21, 2015.[7] The film received negative reviews from critics, who criticized its jump scares, horror clichés and story, while Ransone's performance received some praise. It grossed over $54 million against its reported budget of $10 million.

Plot

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Dylan Collins awakens from a nightmare in which a family of three is killed in a cornfield. He, his twin brother Zach, and their mother Courtney squat in a farmhouse after fleeing Courtney's abusive husband, Clint. Dylan experiences further nightmares of families being murdered and is visited by ghostly children who coerce him into watching films showing them murdering their families.

Ex-Deputy So & So, now working as a private investigator, investigates murders connected to Bughuul. He arrives at the farmhouse and encounters the Collins family, telling Courtney that he is investigating the nearby church where a murder occurred. So & So drives away Clint, who tries to take the boys, and convinces Courtney to stay at the farmhouse, believing that leaving would allow Bughuul's cycle of murders to continue. Courtney invites him to spend the night.

So & So meets with Professor Stromberg, the owner of a ham radio that previously belonged to Professor Jonas, who mysteriously disappeared. Stromberg explains that the radio once belonged to a Norwegian family in 1973 and that Bughuul is summoned through ritual sacrifice, with three recurring elements: a murdered family, missing children, and artwork depicting Bughuul. When the radio suddenly activates, So & So orders Stromberg to destroy it.

Zach becomes increasingly violent toward Dylan, jealous of the attention he receives from the ghost children. However, the children turn their attention toward him after Dylan refuses to watch another family being murdered, stating that Dylan is not their real target. Clint arrives with a court order and takes Courtney and the boys home. So & So arrives at their house to warn them about Bughuul, but Clint beats him. The next day, Zach films his family relaxing outdoors and spikes their drinks. That night, Dylan contacts So & So for help as he and his parents lose consciousness.

Courtney, Dylan, and Clint are bound to scarecrow posts with sacks over their heads, mirroring Dylan's nightmare. Zach douses them in gasoline, filming Clint burning to death. Before Zach can set Dylan on fire, So & So hits Zach with his car. He frees Courtney and Dylan, and they flee. Zach pursues and witnesses So & So cutting off several of his fingers with a sickle. Inside the home, the ghost children help Zach locate Courtney and Dylan. Before he can kill them, So & So destroys the camera, breaking Bughuul's spell. Bughuul appears and kills Zach. So & So, Dylan, and Courtney escape the house as Bughuul sets it on fire.

Later, while collecting his things to leave with Courtney and Dylan, So & So finds the ham radio in his motel room. The ghost children begin speaking to him through it before Bughuul suddenly appears.

Cast

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  • James Ransone as Ex-Deputy So & So
  • Shannyn Sossamon as Courtney Wheeler-Collins
  • Robert Daniel Sloan as Dylan Collins
  • Dartanian Sloan as Zachary "Zach" Collins
  • Lea Coco as Clint Collins
  • Tate Ellington as Dr. Stromberg
  • John Beasley as Father Rodriguez
  • Lucas Jade Zumann as Milo Jacobs / Sunday Service Boy
  • Jaden Klein as Ted / Fishing Trip Boy
  • Laila Haley as Emma / Christmas Morning Girl
  • Caden M. Fritz as Peter / Kitchen Remodel Boy
  • Olivia Rainey as Catherine / Trip To The Dentist Girl
  • Nicholas King as Bughuul / "Mr. Boogie"
  • Robert Finlayson as Milo's Father / Reverend Jacobs

Production

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Development

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A sequel to Sinister (2012) was announced in March 2013, with Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill returning to write the screenplay.[8] Derrickson was also set to produce alongside Jason Blum, but was not expected to return as director.[9]

In April 2014, Ciarán Foy was announced as director. Derrickson said he had been impressed by Foy's debut feature Citadel and felt that Foy's visual style was well suited to the sequel.[10] Foy later said that Derrickson contacted him after seeing Citadel and offered him the opportunity to read the script.[11] Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Charles Layton, Xavier Marchand, and Patrice Théroux were named as executive producers, with Entertainment One financing the film.[12][13]

Filming

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Principal photography began on August 19, 2014, in Chicago and continued for approximately six weeks.[14] Filming also took place in several Illinois locations, including St Anne and areas near the village of Grant Park.[14][15] Director Ciarán Foy said the rural Illinois locations, particularly the surrounding cornfields, helped create the isolated atmosphere he wanted for the film.[16] He also described the production as operating on a tight schedule and relatively low budget.[16]

Unlike the first film, the murder films seen within Sinister 2 were shot during principal photography rather than separately from the main production.[17] These sequences were filmed on 16 mm film and were further degraded during post-production to create a rougher, aged appearance.[17] Some of the sequences combined practical effects with digital visual effects.[17]

Release

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In May 2015, Focus Features relaunched the Gramercy Pictures label for action, horror, and science-fiction films.[18] Sinister 2 was among the films released under the revived label.[18] The film was released theatrically in the Untied States on August 21, 2015, and was later released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 12, 2016.

Reception

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Box office

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Sinister 2 grossed $27,740,955 domestically and $26,363,270 internationally, for a worldwide total of $53,329,150.[19] This was lower than the $82,515,113 worldwide gross of its predecessor,[20] although the film's total box-office revenue was more than five times its reported $10 million production budget.

Critical response

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 14% based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10.[21] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 32 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[22]

Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B- on an A+ to F scale.[23] IGN gave the film a score of 1 out of 10, describing it as an "abysmal follow-up" to its predecessor and criticizing its reliance on scares that had been more effective in the first film.[24]

Future

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Producer Jason Blum said that a crossover between the Sinister and Insidious franchises had previously been considered.[25] In 2023, he clarified that the project had entered development but was not pursued because the filmmakers had not found a story they considered strong enough, although he remained open to revisiting the idea.[26]

In October 2023, Scott Derrickson expressed interest in returning to the Sinister franchise, saying that Sinister 2 had taken the series in the wrong direction but that other approaches to another sequel remained possible.[27] He later suggested that the mythology could be explored through a television series focusing on other pagan deities connected to Bughuul.[28] In June 2025, Derrickson said that he and Blum had discussed reviving the franchise and hoped to eventually make a third film, while reiterating that he felt Sinister 2 had lacked some of the mystery and intensity of the original.[29]

References

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  1. 1 2 Lowe, Justin (August 19, 2015). "'Sinister 2': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Barker, Andrew (August 19, 2025). "Film Review: 'Sinister 2'". Variety. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  3. ↑ "SINISTER 2 (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 27, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ Lang, Brent (August 19, 2015). "Box Office: 'Straight Outta Compton' Will Dwarf 'Hitman: Agent 47,' 'American Ultra'". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  5. ↑ Zumberge, Marianne (August 22, 2015). "Box Office: 'Straight Outta Compton' Handily Beats 'Sinister 2,' 'American Ultra'". Variety. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Sinister 2 (2015) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Sinister 2 (2015)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  8. ↑ Wakeman, Gregory (March 4, 2013). "'Sinister' Sequel Announced". Inquisitor. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  9. ↑ pbadmin (March 2, 2013). "Sinister 2 is in the Works, Insidious Chapter 2 Pushed Back". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ Turek, Ryan (April 20, 2014). "Derrickson: Why Ciaran Foy Was Chosen for Sinister 2 & What We Can Expect". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Q&A: Director Ciarán Foy On The Kids And Kill Films Of SINISTER 2, Part One". August 19, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  12. ↑ "'Sinister 2' Moving Ahead With 'Citadel' Director". The Hollywood Reporter. April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  13. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (April 17, 2014). "'Citadel's' Ciaran Foy to Direct 'Sinister 2' for Blumhouse, eOne". TheWrap. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Gomez, Luis (August 18, 2014). "'Sinister 2' begins filming in Chicago this week". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  15. ↑ kankakeecountymuseum (July 28, 2016). "Lights, Camera, Action!". Let's Talk History!. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  16. 1 2 Benardello, Karen (August 19, 2015). "Interview: Ciarán Foy Talks Sinister 2 (Exclusive)". Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 Wixson, Heather (August 19, 2015). "Interview: Director Ciarán Foy on Working with Kids, Getting His Job Through Twitter and More for SINISTER 2". Daily Dead. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Petski, Denise (May 20, 2015). "Focus Features Revives Gramercy Pictures Label For Genre Films". deadline.com. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Sinister 2".
  20. ↑ "Sinister".
  21. ↑ "Sinister 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Sinister 2 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  23. ↑ "'Compton' To Cross $100M Today As August Marketplace Chills Out – Late Night B.O. Update". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  24. ↑ Brian Formo (August 20, 2015). "Sinister 2 Review". IGN.
  25. ↑ Outlaw, Kofi (January 10, 2018). "'Insidious' and 'Sinister' Crossover May Happen According to Jason Blum". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  26. ↑ Paz, Maggie Dela (June 29, 2023). "Insidious and Sinister Crossover Movie Gets Update From Jason Blum". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  27. ↑ Kleinman, Jake (October 2, 2023). "Scott Derrickson is Going to Find You". Inverse. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  28. ↑ Scott, Ryan (April 29, 2024). "Director Scott Derrickson Breaks Down His Entire Career, From Marvel To The Black Phone [Exclusive Interview]". SlashFilm. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  29. ↑ Porzio, Stephen (June 2, 2025). "'Scariest movie ever' could be getting sequel as director confirms talks about reboot". Joe.co.uk. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
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