Sinister had a good premise and twist that separated it from ordinary horror flick. This also means it was relying on the mystery aspect that was revealed at the end. The sequel loses the luxury of having the paranormal riddle. Instead of completely rehearsing the plot it utilizes different perspective and personalities, then combines it with dreadful bits to make a terrifying spectacle.
Resuming the events from previous movie, now Ex-Deputy (James Ransone) is trying to sever the haunting circle by destroying the houses it affected. Unfortunately, there's a new family of mother (Shannyn Sossamon) and two sons who occupies one particular house. They are in danger of repeating the same terrible fate as previous victims, especially the children.
James Ransone is a much different lead than Ethan Hawke was, he's more timid and less intense, but he looks very decent which should endear audience to his valiant effort. There's good chemistry with Shannyn Sossamon who is a great cast for the mother role, just like in TV series Wayward Pines. The two are not the typical family or paranormal whiz of recent horror movies, and this gives the characters a sense of urgency.
There are bits of usual investigation involved, but the main draw is the perverted twist on the children and the eerie clips they made. These short clips are like snuff movies from children's point of view and presented with old cryptic filter. It may seem a bit similar to that of first film, but they are dauntingly effective and much more diverse.
The children themselves don't look menacing and often seem like superficial apparitions. Unlike the original movie which displayed them sparsely, their appearance here is overexposed. It may have worked if viewers were introduced more to the children or the child abuse issue was treated with more polished, although unfortunately there's not much depth on the youngling characters.
For most parts the scare looks average, coupling a few jump scares and taking hints from creepypastas. It loses the steam towards latter end since it becomes a tad predictable and the ghostly kids are hardly frightening, however the characters are adequately presentable which should keep audience invested throughout the unworldly predicament.
