Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Creepy, disturbing horror film involves young characters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sinister 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a mixed bag, with many viewers reporting it as both disturbing and less effective than its predecessor. While some found the intense gore and graphic murder scenes unsettling and traumatizing, others noted a lack of genuine scares, labeling it more as shock value rather than true horror.
- disturbing scenes
- graphic violence
- mixed reviews
- less scary
- sequel issues
- recommend for teens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Following the events of Sinister, the former deputy with no name (James Ransone) has devoted himself to preventing ghostly torment from happening again. He discovers another haunted house and sets out to destroy it, but he's too late: A mom, Courtney Collins (Shannyn Sossamon), and her two boys, Dylan (Robert Daniel Sloan) and Zach (Dartanian Sloan), have moved in, hiding from the boys' abusive father, Clint (Lea Coco). As he learns more about the evil entity Bughuul, the deputy finds himself becoming attracted to Courtney and dealing with the real-world threat of the violent Clint. Meanwhile, Bughuul has begun manipulating one of the brothers with a handful of kid-ghosts, and he's falling right into the monster's trap.
Is It Any Good?
The original Sinister was a passable chiller, but the sequel feels more like a vague attempt to continue a lucrative franchise than to create anything truly compelling or spooky. The first film had Ethan Hawke in an interesting role as a struggling writer; the sequel has only Ransone as a likably flawed hero. Even if his motives and background aren't clear, he's brave and takes charge, but still vulnerable. The other characters are thinly written, including the villains.
The movie brings back the demon (deity? boogeyman?) Bughuul, presumably in an attempt to put a scary face to the Sinister franchise, but it doesn't seem to know who he is, what he wants, or what he does. Perhaps worse, director Ciaran Foy goes with the lazy tactic of adding loud, sudden, percussive bursts of noise for every ghost appearance; it's all routine shocks and no genuine atmosphere or terror. The only good part is the strange, discordant score by tomandandy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Sinister 2's violence. How did the impact of the supernatural scenes compare to the real-world scenes of abuse? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What makes the movie scary? Have you ever been scared of something in real life that was depicted in this movie?
The ex-deputy character says he tries to help people, but he also does a few questionable things. Is he an admirable character? Is he likable?
How is drinking depicted in this movie? Are there realistic consequences?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 21, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : January 12, 2016
- Cast : Shannyn Sossamon , James Ransone , Tate Ellington
- Director : Ciaran Foy
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence, bloody and disturbing images, and language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate