PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The Secret of Sinchanee wasn’t on my radar until I saw the trailer. After viewing that, I thought this film would be right up my alley. This film is the latest release from Vertical Entertainment. After winning several awards in the international festival, it is now available on all major digital platforms. Was this film worth a watch? Read on for my spoiler-free review!
Steven Grayhm (Netflix’s Between) wrote, directed, and stars as Will Stark. The film also stars Nate Boyer (FX’s Mayans MC) as Detective Drew Carter. Tamara Austin (AMC’s The Walking Dead) as Detective Carrie Donovan. Laila Lockhart Kraner (Netflix’s Gabby’s Dollhouse) as Ava Donovan. Jacob Schick (American Sniper, A Star Is Born 2018) as Sean Maguire and Rudy Reyes ( HBO’s Generation Kill) as Solomon Goodblood.
Synopsis for Secret of Sinchanee
An industrial tow truck driver suffering from insomnia returns to his childhood home after the untimely death of his father, to discover that a paranormal presence has been living in the house and haunting the sacred land it was built on.
My Thoughts:
The Secret of Sinchanee’s plot unfolds in a series of flashbacks to 1995, where there is a brutal murder of a mother and daughter and the son is saved by a Native American. The son is Will Stark, who knows in the present day has inherited his recently deceased father’s home. The home seems to be haunted by supernatural entities. The film blends paranormal thriller with police procedural. It is almost two movies in one. Which at times may be confusing to the viewer. It is a lot of back and forth, which is a lot to keep straight. That is my only “complaint”. Once I got used to it, I really enjoyed this film. It is different than your usual paranormal thriller. There are some effective jump scares and folklore that aren’t overdone or cheesy.
The scenery is stunning and just hauntingly beautiful. Set during the winter in New England, the cinematography is amazing and makes you want to keep watching. The acting is solid as well. The performances are believable and the characters mesh together fairly well. These elements along with the story make the film highly watchable. Even with some slight flaws, I found myself enthralled with this film wanting to see more and how the film would end. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Steven Graym in the future. This film is solid and is definitely worth a watch.
Final Thoughts:
If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers, this film is definitely for you. The story has an added bonus of paranormal elements and lore elements. It has some unique jump scares and is a nice change of pace from the standard horror-thriller films. The Secret of Sinchanee is available now on all major digital platforms.
