The Secret of Sinchanee

I saw this film on the silver screen at the Raindance Film Festival last year in the UK and was chuffed to find it online to rent this holiday season (it has proper Christmas themes so it works great for those holiday thrills). This film had won several awards before it arrived at Raindance on the festival circuit, so there was a lot of anticipation for it to come to the Genesis Theater in London. Attending the Q&A after the screening also provided a lot of insight into filmmaker Steven Grayhm's challenging, yet rewarding process of bringing this film to the screen. To be fair, this special little (big) film is nothing short of ambitious. Scary at times and thoughtful at others - but at its very best - this film is original! As most have stated, the third act tends to tie up nicely - giving the audience a satisfying ending - and an unexpected horror fan shoutout in the form of a CODA at the end credits. The cinematography is gorgeous, with many unique camera angles and shots. The musical score is beautiful, and at one point at the UK screening, it made some of us in the audience incredibly emotional. A second watch at home and it was just as intense. The score at times sounds like something from the late, great Jóhann Jóhannsson. This is simply a brilliant little independent film that I would recommend to most anyone looking for something unique and different.

Written and directed by lead actor Steven Grayhm, 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. Also starring: Laila Lockhart Kraner, Rudy Reyes, Tamara Austin, Chris Neville, Margarita Reyes, Mark Oliver, Kathleen Kenny and Nate Boyer.

The Secret of Sinchanee opens with a subtle strength, building a classic supernatural and mysterious atmosphere, moving slowly but purposefully. It kicks off its edge of peril, bringing us down a path to reveal dark secrets and this new land's ancient truths.

The writer didn't give up on this narrative, but it seems bits of traditional blood ad gore were thrown in to please every one. Still, this is one worth putting down your phone for. In fact it's necessary. If you allow the storyline to carry and transport you to an uncolonized mindset, give patience to the spirit walk this movie requires, you'll be well rewarded.

I really liked this. It reminded me of the VVitch and Wretched. I love horror movies that keep the evil entities in the background, where you just catch a glimpse of something standing in a corner or among the trees.

It went a bit over the top at the end, but it was all relevant to the story.

Excellent direction, beautiful and chilling scenery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It was really well made and there's a lot to like here folks. The acting was really good with some really strong and understated performances. I read some of the bad reviews that said this film was boring. I couldn't disagree more. You do need to pay attention to the multiple stories and various plot lines, but this kept me interested rather than bored. As most have stated, this is an extremely unique and original story. It may not be for everyone. And that's okay. It's not something you come across often so that wins a lot of points in my books too. The cinematography was beautiful and the soundtrack was haunting and heart pounding. The winter setting in New England was also a perfect fit for the mood and storytelling. Over all seven stars for me. I really enjoyed it and would recommend this film to anyone. It's definitely worth checking out.

Moody indie film that simmers all the way through to the end. I loved the overall "lived-in" feeling of the film. The tow shop that the main character works at was one of my favorite settings. Also, the casting and the performances from the actors all played very real and they all looked like they fit their respective roles. I also thought it was interesting how the main protagonist at the tow shop becomes the antagonist halfway through the film - and the female detective pursuing him becomes the protagonist. That's an effective switch in the writing that I thought worked well and gave the audience a bit of reprieve from the intensity as well as the slow build to the end. I saw that this film premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in the UK in the "Screamdance" section and went on to win Best Writer, Best Film Score, and was Nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Feature Film Fiction at various international film festivals. I think that was well deserved given the solid filmmaking here.