Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill and stars Ethan Hawke. It follows true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt, played by Hawke, as he discovers a box of home movies that puts his family in danger. Sinister premiered at the SXSW festival, and was released in the United States on October 12, 2012, and in the UK on October 5, 2012.