There are few horror films from the last decade that have had quite the impact as 2012’s Sinister.  Coming completely out of nowhere, it blew away both critics and audiences, a consensus rarely received for a horror film.

It’s the perfect example of how the horror genre remains a place for new and original films, especially in a cinematic landscape filled with sequels, prequels, and reboots.  So in honor of Sinister’s 10th anniversary today, we thought it would be fitting and fun to look at 10 creepy facts about Sinister!

1. Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill first got the idea for Sinister from a nightmare he had after watching The Ring.  In his nightmare, he saw people being hung from a tree, much like what would become the movie’s opening scene.

2. All of the home movie scenes were actually shot on 8mm film to give them a gritty, realistic look.  The whole aesthetic was inspired by Faces of Death, as well as the Zabruder film which captured the assassination of JFK.

3. During the scenes in which Ethan Hawke’s character watches the home movies, Hawke was actually watching the footage and hearing the music for the first time so that his reactions to the footage was completely real.

4. Bughuul’s appearance was originally meant to be much more like a “dark Willy Wonka”.  But ultimately they felt it would come off as too silly and not scary.

5. The pool scene was all done practically with actors actually tied to pool chairs and being pulled into the water.  There were professional divers in the pool, waiting with oxygen tanks to give to the actors.  And Bughuul performer Nicholas King wore weights in his shoes so that he was able to stand at the bottom of the pool.

6. While filming the family hanging scene, one of the stunt performers was actually choked for a few seconds by accident.  A stunt coordinator screwed up while preparing the scene and was promptly fired afterwards.

7. Despite featuring no nudity and very minimal swearing, Sinister was given an R rating rather than PG-13 simply for “disturbing violent images and some terror”.  Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill bragged that it was rated R just for being scary.

8. In 2020, Forbes called Sinister “the scariest movie ever made” based on a study they did in which participants watched horror films and had their vitals monitored.  Sinister had the highest beat per minute (BPM) of any horror film, spiking as high as 113 at one point.  Check out the full study here: What Is The Scariest Movie Ever? Science Now Has An Answer To That Question (forbes.com)

9. Sinister’s final scene which has Bughuul pop out on the screen was a last minute addition by producer Jason Blum, who insisted the movie needed one final jump scare.

10. The infamous house that the Oswalt family moves into and lives at for the duration of the movies is currently up for sale.  It’s located in Sands Point, Long Island, NY and is currently listed at nearly $2.2 million.  It boasts 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 4134 square feet, and 2 acres of land.  If you’re interested, check out the Zillow link here: 169 Middle Neck Road, Port Washington, NY 11050 | MLS #3433509 | Zillow

Which of these did you already know?  Which ones surprised you?  Let us know in the comments!

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