History Film / Sinister

** Blink and you'll miss it, but in each of the Super 8 reels, during the 'happy' sequences before the murders occur, the missing child looks directly at the camera.

** Blink and you'll miss it, but in each of the Super 8 reels, the missing child at one point looks directly at the camera.

* ShoutOut: At one point, Dylan and Zach watch an old horror movie ([[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968 ''Night of the Living Dead'']]) before Courtney, not wanting them to [[KidsShouldntWatchHorrorFilms get nightmares]], switches it off; much to their dismay. She leads them to bed shortly afterwards.

* ShoutOut: At one point, Dylan and Zach watch an old horror movie ([[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968 Night of the Living Dead]]) before Courtney, not wanting them to [[KidsShouldntWatchHorrorFilms get nightmares]] switches it off, much to their dismay. She leads them to bed shortly afterwards.

* MetaphoricallyTrue: Ellison assures Tracy that this time, they had not moved a few blocks away from a murder scene for his new true crime book. They are actually ''at'' the murder scene itself.
-->'''Ellison:''' Tracy, nobody died here. It's not like we're sleeping where somebody was killed or they had to wipe blood off the walls for the open house.\\
'''Tracy:''' You're saying it didn't happen here?\\
'''Ellison:''' No! It happened in the backyard.

* CorruptTheCutie: We get to see this process, with Bughuul's corrupted children forcing Dylan to watch their films. [[spoiler:When Dylan finally rejects them, the children reveal that their attempts to turn Dylan was sufficient to corrupt *Zach*]].

** It's pretty terrifying when [[spoiler: the first thing you see is three people tied to crosses and the person in the middle going up in flames.]] But when you find out that person is [[spoiler: the kids' abusive {{Jerkass}} father, it goes from terrifying to LaserGuidedKarma. [[KickTheSonOfABitch He's also the only one who dies in Zach's film.]]]]

* SpookyPhotographs: ...and digital stills, paused footage, woodcut prints, paintings...

* DeathByIrony: In a manner of speaking. As far as we know, these aren't {{Karmic Death}}s, since there's no evidence the victims aren't innocent, but [[spoiler:most of the Super 8 films]] demonstrate this trope: [[spoiler:three of the films each introduce a motif in the family's daily life before revealing that the murder is inspired by that motif. The tire swing inspires ''Family Hanging Out '11''; ''BBQ '79'' opens with footage of a normal barbecue; and ''Pool Party '66'' is obviously only possible because the family owned a pool.]] The last two films to be shown flout this pattern, [[spoiler:since ''Sleepy Time '98'' features no buildup before the murder scene, and 'Lawn Work '86'' starts with some RedHerring footage of the family just watching TV,]] but the end of the movie brings this trope back in full force [[spoiler:when the latest murder turns out to have been [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowed]] by the daughter's penchant for wall-painting.]]

%%* NoMouth: Bughuul.

[[folder:Tropes exclusive to ''Sinister 2'']]

!! The first film contains examples of:

!! The second film contains examples of:

* TrashyTrueCrime: Though Ellison is a fairly sympathetic protagonist with a respectable writing career, several elements of the plot cast shadows on his character and profession. Despite his claims otherwise, it's clear that his only motivation in writing his true crime book is to revive his flagging career. At least one of his previous books had incorrect conclusions that damaged the case. The sheriff tells Ellison that his decision to move into the victims' house for research was extremely tasteless. And when Ellison uncovers bombshell evidence in his investigation, he makes the deeply questionable decision to keep the info for his book instead of turning it over to the police.

* TrashyTrueCrime: Though Ellison is a fairly sympathetic protagonist with a respectable writing career, several elements of the plot cast shadows on his character and profession. Despite his claims otherwise, it's clear that his only motivation in writing his true crime book is to revive his flagging career. At least one of his previous books had incorrect conclusions that damaged the case. The sheriff tells Ellison that his decision to move into the victims' house for research was extremely tasteless. And when Ellison uncovers bombshell evidence in his investigation, he makes the deeply questionable decision to not call the police and keep the info for his book instead.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler: Ultimately, Ellison just becomes another victim, along with the rest of his family, and Bughuul is free to kill again]].

* TrashyTrueCrime: Though Ellison is a fairly sympathetic protagonist with a respectable writing career, several elements of the plot cast shadows on his character and profession. Despite his claims otherwise, it's clear that his motivation in writing his true crime book is to revive his flagging career. At least one of his previous books had incorrect conclusions that damaged the case. The sheriff tells Ellison that his decision to move into the victims' house for research was extremely tasteless. And when Ellison uncovers bombshell evidence in his investigation, he makes the deeply questionable decision to not call the police and keep the info for his book.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure:: So-and-So shows he still has shades of this despite not being a deputy anymore, when [[spoiler:the state police cops sent by Clint Collins came by to regain custody of Courtney's children until Deputy So-and-So comes to the family's defense and with the knowledge he learned before when he was still in the force, points out that the cops do not have a proper warrant to do that]].

** [[spoiler: While Ellison isn't looking, Bughuul moves in the picture on the laptop to stare at him.]] It seems minor at first, until we learn Bughuul's method of haunting near the end.

* AdultFear:
** What's the most pressing fear in our hero's life? Alienating his family in pursuit of fame. This leads him to brush off the ''supernatural'' threat as nerves until [[spoiler:it's too late to stop.]]
** ''Having'' to subject himself to soul-searingly awful imagery just to get his work done.
** Having one's children come into harm's way, and watch horrible things happen to kids that's at your children's age.
* AlliterativeName: [[spoiler:'''S'''tephanie '''S'''tevenson, the 'Family Hanging Out' murderer.]]