Netflix Is Losing a Critically-Panned Horror That Secretly Set Up a Modern Hit

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I’m really bummed to hear that the sequel to a movie a lot of people loved is getting pulled from streaming. It’s a shame because Sinister 2 actually quietly laid the groundwork for a whole new series of scary movies, and I was hoping to see where they’d go with it.

If you’re a fan of horror, you only have until tomorrow to watch Sinister 2 on Netflix. The movie will no longer be available for streaming after January 1st.

Scott Derrickson directed Sinister 2, again working with screenwriter C. Robert Cargill, who also wrote the first film. Released just three years after the original, Sinister 2 stars the same actor as the former deputy, now leading the fight to stop the evil spirit Bughuul.

The main cast of Sinister 2 includes James Ransone, Lea Coco as Clint Collins, and Robert and Dartanian Sloan playing his sons, Dylan and Zachary. Tate Ellington appears as Doctor Stromberg, John Beasley as Father Rodriguez, and Nicholas King as the notorious Bughuul, completing the ensemble.

Despite making a profit at the box office—earning over $54 million on a $10 million budget—Sinister 2 received mostly negative reviews from both critics and audiences. Currently, the film has a low 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 90 reviews from verified critics.

Viewers gave Sinister 2 a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Popcornmeter,” based on over 25,000 votes. In comparison, the first Sinister film from 2012 currently has a 64% critical score and a 62% audience score, calculated from 155 critics and over 50,000 audience reviews.

The Connection Between Sinister 2 and The Black Phone Franchise

Although the stories are different, the people who made The Black Phone and its sequel are largely the same. Both films were co-written with Cargill, and Scott Haze appears in a prominent role in all of them.

Both The Black Phone movies have done incredibly well, earning over $293 million at the box office with a combined production cost of under $48 million. Even better, both films have been well-received by both critics and audiences. The first movie has an 81% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the second has a 71% approval rating.

The sequel aimed to be even more intense than the first film. Director Derrickson explained that to build on the dark story, they needed to increase the violence, aggression, and shocking moments, ultimately delivering more gore and a higher level of intensity.

Before the release of Black Phone 2, writer Cargill wondered if audiences would even want a sequel. He admitted he hadn’t heard anyone suggest it before, but expressed hope that people would enjoy it if they made one.

Sinister 2 is currently available for streaming on Netflix until Jan. 1.

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2025-12-31 18:09