Sinister 2 (stylized in marketing as Sinister II) is a 2015 supernatural horror film directed by Ciarán Foy, and written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. A sequel to Sinister (2012), it stars James Ransone, reprising his role from the original film, and Shannyn Sossamon. The film follows a former deputy as he attempts to end a malevolent deity's curse after encountering a family that has fallen victim to it, while a boy is tormented by the victims who once lived in the house where he now resides with his twin brother and mother.

Unlike the first film, which used 8 mm film for its home movies and snuff films, Sinister 2 incorporates 16 mm film, vinyl records, and ham radio broadcasts into its storyline. Sinister 2 was released on August 21, 2015. The film received negative reviews from critics, who criticized its jump scares, horror clichés and story, while Ransone's performance received some praise. It grossed over $54 million against its reported budget of $10 million.

Plot

Dylan Collins awakens from a nightmare in which a family of three is killed in a cornfield. He, his twin brother Zach, and their mother Courtney squat in a farmhouse after fleeing Courtney's abusive husband, Clint. Dylan experiences further nightmares of families being murdered and is visited by ghostly children who coerce him into watching films showing them murdering their families.

Ex-Deputy So & So, now working as a private investigator, investigates murders connected to Bughuul. He arrives at the farmhouse and encounters the Collins family, telling Courtney that he is investigating the nearby church where a murder occurred. So & So drives away Clint, who tries to take the boys, and convinces Courtney to stay at the farmhouse, believing that leaving would allow Bughuul's cycle of murders to continue. Courtney invites him to spend the night.

So & So meets with Professor Stromberg, the owner of a ham radio that previously belonged to Professor Jonas, who mysteriously disappeared. Stromberg explains that the radio once belonged to a Norwegian family in 1973 and that Bughuul is summoned through ritual sacrifice, with three recurring elements: a murdered family, missing children, and artwork depicting Bughuul. When the radio suddenly activates, So & So orders Stromberg to destroy it.

Zach becomes increasingly violent toward Dylan, jealous of the attention he receives from the ghost children. However, the children turn their attention toward him after Dylan refuses to watch another family being murdered, stating that Dylan is not their real target. Clint arrives with a court order and takes Courtney and the boys home. So & So arrives at their house to warn them about Bughuul, but Clint beats him. The next day, Zach films his family relaxing outdoors and spikes their drinks. That night, Dylan contacts So & So for help as he and his parents lose consciousness.

Courtney, Dylan, and Clint are bound to scarecrow posts with sacks over their heads, mirroring Dylan's nightmare. Zach douses them in gasoline, filming Clint burning to death. Before Zach can set Dylan on fire, So & So hits Zach with his car. He frees Courtney and Dylan, and they flee. Zach pursues and witnesses So & So cutting off several of his fingers with a sickle. Inside the home, the ghost children help Zach locate Courtney and Dylan. Before he can kill them, So & So destroys the camera, breaking Bughuul's spell. Bughuul appears and kills Zach. So & So, Dylan, and Courtney escape the house as Bughuul sets it on fire.

Later, while collecting his things to leave with Courtney and Dylan, So & So finds the ham radio in his motel room. The ghost children begin speaking to him through it before Bughuul suddenly appears.

Cast

Production Development A sequel to Sinister (2012) was announced in March 2013, with Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill returning to write the screenplay. Derrickson was also set to produce alongside Jason Blum, but was not expected to return as director.

In April 2014, Ciarán Foy was announced as director. Derrickson said he had been impressed by Foy's debut feature Citadel and felt that Foy's visual style was well suited to the sequel. Foy later said that Derrickson contacted him after seeing Citadel and offered him the opportunity to read the script. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Charles Layton, Xavier Marchand, and Patrice Théroux were named as executive producers, with Entertainment One financing the film.

Filming Principal photography began on August 19, 2014, in Chicago and continued for approximately six weeks. Filming also took place in several Illinois locations, including St Anne and areas near the village of Grant Park. Director Ciarán Foy said the rural Illinois locations, particularly the surrounding cornfields, helped create the isolated atmosphere he wanted for the film. He also described the production as operating on a tight schedule and relatively low budget.

Unlike the first film, the murder films seen within Sinister 2 were shot during principal photography rather than separately from the main production. These sequences were filmed on 16 mm film and were further degraded during post-production to create a rougher, aged appearance. Some of the sequences combined practical effects with digital visual effects.

Release In May 2015, Focus Features relaunched the Gramercy Pictures label for action, horror, and science-fiction films. Sinister 2 was among the films released under the revived label. The film was released theatrically in the Untied States on August 21, 2015, and was later released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 12, 2016.

Reception Box office Sinister 2 grossed $27,740,955 domestically and $26,363,270 internationally, for a worldwide total of $53,329,150. This was lower than the $82,515,113 worldwide gross of its predecessor, although the film's total box-office revenue was more than five times its reported $10 million production budget.

Critical response On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 14% based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 32 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B- on an A+ to F scale. IGN gave the film a score of 1 out of 10, describing it as an "abysmal follow-up" to its predecessor and criticizing its reliance on scares that had been more effective in the first film.

Future Producer Jason Blum said that a crossover between the Sinister and Insidious franchises had previously been considered. In 2023, he clarified that the project had entered development but was not pursued because the filmmakers had not found a story they considered strong enough, although he remained open to revisiting the idea.

In October 2023, Scott Derrickson expressed interest in returning to the Sinister franchise, saying that Sinister 2 had taken the series in the wrong direction but that other approaches to another sequel remained possible. He later suggested that the mythology could be explored through a television series focusing on other pagan deities connected to Bughuul. In June 2025, Derrickson said that he and Blum had discussed reviving the franchise and hoped to eventually make a third film, while reiterating that he felt Sinister 2 had lacked some of the mystery and intensity of the original.

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