I enjoyed the paranormal stuff because in most horror movies, the main character is somehow dealt a winning hand at the beginning but doesn't realize it until the end, whenever in reality they should have no chance against a demon. In Sinister, the odds are stacked against Ethan Hawke from the beginning, and in the end he loses. To me, Sinister really showed me that horror movies just give the win to the main character, and just make the plot seem like a bunch of unnecessary bullshit. I just love how the plot of Sinister gradually arises. It goes from "children killing their families" to "Holy shit it's a demonic motherfucker who makes kids kill their families"

Besides, if it was just about Ethan Hawke finding snuff tapes, then the movie might as well end immediately after the first tape because all he would've had to do is call 911 and it's over.