How ‘Sinister’ Became the Scariest Movie Ever Made, According to Science

Some horror films fade quickly from memory, but others leave a mark that lasts for years. Scott Derrickson’s ‘Sinister’ falls firmly into the second category, and on October 12, the supernatural chiller marks another anniversary of its U.S. theatrical release.

Before hitting American theaters in 2012, the film premiered at the SXSW festival that March and opened in the United Kingdom on October 5. What followed was a remarkable run that helped cement Blumhouse as a horror powerhouse.

The story behind ‘Sinister’ began with a bad dream. Co-writer C. Robert Cargill, a critic-turned-screenwriter, came up with the idea after a nightmare he had following a viewing of ‘The Ring’.

Derrickson, who was coming off the big-budget remake of ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, was looking for a low-budget horror idea when the pair connected in Las Vegas. The project moved astonishingly fast from there.

“The most amazing thing about the movie is that from the first time that I heard the idea in Vegas, to selling the idea to Jason, to the movie being green-lit, to shooting the movie, posting the movie, having the movie finished, and the movie getting released, was less than a year,” Derrickson told SlashFilm.

Producer Jason Blum offered Derrickson a $3 million budget along with final cut. It was a challenging amount to work with, but the gamble paid off in a big way. Released by Lionsgate, the film went on to gross $87.7 million worldwide. That staggering return made it one of the most profitable horror releases of its era.

Ethan Hawke stars as Ellison Oswalt, a true-crime writer who hasn’t had a bestseller in years. Desperate for a hit, he moves his family into a house where another family was murdered, hoping the case will inspire his next book.

In the attic, he discovers a box of Super 8 home movies depicting a series of gruesome killings. As he investigates, strange events begin to unfold, putting his own family in grave danger.

The cast also includes Juliet Rylance, Fred Thompson, James Ransone, Clare Foley, and Michael Hall D’Addario. Critics were impressed, with Roger Ebert praising Hawke’s captivating performance and calling the film undeniably scary.

Years after its release, ‘Sinister’ earned a remarkable distinction. In 2020, Broadband Choices launched the Science of Scare Project, in which 50 participants watched more than 100 hours of horror films while researchers tracked their heart rates.

‘Sinister’ came out on top. Viewers’ average heart rates jumped from about 64 beats per minute to 86 during the film, with its scariest moment sending pulses soaring to 131. The film has since topped the annual study multiple times, including in 2023, earning a Scare Score of 96 out of 100. It briefly lost the crown to ‘Host’, but has spent more time at number 1 than any other movie.

Cargill even pointed out an interesting coincidence after the study was released. He noted that the film’s UK distributors had held pre-release events where medical professionals measured audience members’ heart rates and blood pressure while they watched.

The success of ‘Sinister’ helped shape the next decade of horror. Derrickson later reunited with Hawke and Ransone for ‘The Black Phone’, which was released to positive reviews in 2022.

Not everyone agrees that ‘Sinister’ deserves the title of scariest film ever made, and fans continue to debate it online. Still, its effective atmosphere, chilling Super 8 footage, and committed performance from Hawke have kept it a staple of spooky season viewing.

More than a decade later, the film remains proof that a small budget and a terrifying idea can leave a lasting impression. For many horror fans, it is still the movie that makes them think twice before going up to the attic.

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