When C. Robert Cargill first wrote Sinister, he readily admitted it was in direct response to The Ring. Ringu was first a novel written by Koji Suzuki and then quickly adapted to a film of the same name by Hideo Nakata. Nakata was famous for his chilling Japanese horror films and an American adaptation was not far off.
All this culminated in the creation of the Sinister franchise. Though not as prolific as all of the creations of The Ring, Sinister still paved its path. Without a doubt, these two films had quite a lot in common. But they differed as well.
Similar: Main Characters Are Writers
Through varying degrees of success in writing, both Rachel and Ellison forged careers in the field. Ellison wrote true crime books and Rachel was a reporter. They both had the mind for investigation and once they started down a path, they couldn’t be stopped.
Rachel’s access to her newspaper led her to important evidence in The Ring. In Sinister, Ellison put some pieces together of the strangeness in his house to write a best-selling book. Both were forced down the rabbit hole and were met with no mercy.
Different: Family Dynamics
Family dynamics in horror films will usually be the determining factor if the family survives or not. Families face off their foes together and if they are not united, then it’s more than likely that they will fall.
While Rachel was not always the mother of the year, she had a connection with her son. Their family was essentially broken with the father out of the picture and Rachel working a full-time job. The Oswalts were the opposite. While legally together, they had no sense of unity. Ellison rarely engaged with his children and his wife was made out to be a nagging shrew.
Similar: Children Are Integral
Aiden was one of the most self-aware children in existence and knew exactly what the score was. He guided his mother to find an end to Samara’s torture. Ashley also helped her father reach an end, but it was at Ellison’s detriment.
Different: The Children’s Intent
Both Aiden and Ashley were responsible for what happened to their parents. Their intention was what was important. Creepily self-sufficient and well-spoken, Aiden’s only real crime was being too helpful. He had a gift that allowed him to speak to Samara but knew that she needed to be stopped.
Ashley was not as lucky. She was taken over by Mr. Boogie and convinced to be the vehicle in which her whole family suffered. She furthered the curse and killed her family, making room for Mr. Boogie to influence the next family that crossed its path.
Similar: Sentient Films
The trajectory of the two films followed the same path. The films were created by monsters that were affecting the lives of their victims. Sinister used super 8 films to document the terror that was happening to families across decades. Mr. Boogie documented, but was also able to interact with the viewer to make their lives the stuff of nightmares.
The Ring took it one step further. The videotape stayed the same but upon watching it, but as an added twist, the viewer would die in seven days. To make matters worse, the only way to save yourself would be to copy the tape and show it to another person.
Different: Rachel Is Successful
Not only was Rachel successful in saving herself and her son, but this also applied to her vocation. Ellison’s entire motivation was to write a best-selling book. He had one in the past and was trying to reclaim that glory.
Rachel was portrayed as being essential as a reporter. Her skills helped her track down leads and while her boss may not have liked it, she was indispensable.
Similar: Antagonists Take The Form Of Creepy Girls
Ashley was the instigator of her family’s demise, but she was not the only one in Sinister who did this. Her predecessor was Stephanie who also murdered her family in the house that Ellison moved his family into. Mr. Boogie took control and used children to kill their own families.
Samara had a different motivation, but the results were the same. Her treatment by her family caused her to lash out and kill anyone that watched her videotape.
Different: The Family Survives
The Ring set itself apart from many horror movie hauntings. Rachel could survive, but what saved her was not a choice that everyone would make. From the start, she was tenacious and at times even selfish. While she did not intend for Aiden to watch the tape that she copied, it made her understand that there was a way out of the curse. After she made Aiden copy another tape, he asked what will happen to the person they show it to. The tape brings death, but Rachel made that sacrifice to save her son.
Ellison had no competency when dealing with the haunting of his house. The very fact that he decided to run from the super 8 films ensured that he would never make it out alive.
Similar: Time Is A Flat Circle
Horror movies are what franchises were made for. After the success of The Ring and Sinister, sequels were being thrown at audiences. But that was because these stories made for more movies.
Rachel copied the tape and more people will watch Samara’s message. Her curse will live on. Ellison only furthered his curse and died in the process. These villains would continue to do more damage and could do so forever.
Different: The Mother’s Perspective
The reason that Rachel tried to help Samara did not have to do with logic. She felt for her, a daughter that never had any parents. Rachel’s parenting style left a lot to be desired, but she above all, she aimed to protect her child.
There was no perspective from Tracy in Sinister. She spent precious screen time calling out Ellison for his decisions while none was devoted to her struggles. She cared for her children offscreen and Ellison didn’t seem all too concerned with their well-being onscreen.
