Insidious is a frustrating movie, there are a few things I really like about it but they are all completely ruined by the expected cliche tropes that have plagued many modern horror films since it acted as the jumping off point that basically started James Wan’s new wave of mainstream American horror.
Its musical score is absolutely insufferable, it is as if the director doesn’t have the confidence to simply show you a creepy image and let it speak for itself, it has to be preceded by a score of discordant violins, just to make sure that you know you’re supposed to be scared. It does not work and it makes every single scare in the film frankly tedious and predictable. This style of horror is not only annoying but it is insulting to the audience, I don't need to be spoon fed what to be scared by.
Horror films are not fairground rides, they're supposed to be atmospheric and immersive experiences.
I can't be pulled into a film that is jumping out at me every five seconds, so much so that I can literally count down to the next moment that it's going to happen.
It’s a real shame that what could be a good film is ruined by cheap jump scares and cheesy music. While the plot of insidious is essentially poltergeist for a generation who has never seen that movie and therefore don’t know what they’re receiving a cheap imitation of, in other aspects it’s relatively solid, the acting is good, the cinematography is accomplished and there are a few creepy images and Lin Shaye in particular is excellently cast as the medium they call in to help their son but all of this is tainted by its aforementioned issues.
In short Insidious is about as scary as Disney's the haunted mansion ride and it treats its audience like infants who have never seen a horror film before.
Insidious Chapter 2 is an infinity better film than the original, while it makes a few mistakes for the exact reasons I dislike the original film, it improves on a lot. Like the original it is a blend of mid to late 70's and 80's classics reinterpreted for a modern audience, specifically, The Amityville horror, Poltergeist and The Shining.
The most significant way it improves upon the original is its use of its score, it's not quite as prominent and intrusive as the first film and because of it the scenes actually have room to breathe without the director needing to tell you what is supposed to be frightening. Occasionally though it does fall into the same pattern as the original, with the score building up to a jump scare but it's less frequent this time around.
As before the cinematography is well done, James Wan for all his flaws as a filmmaker is actually very good at framing shots. The acting again from all involved is solid and the story is more engrossing this time around. The lore is expanded upon and it presents a few original ideas of its own.
As far as mainstream commercial horror goes,
It's a good one.
Why is it that third instalments in a franchise often are the strongest of the whole series?. Insidious chapter 3 completely surpasses its predecessors in every conceivable way. The jump scares are even fewer this time around, there are genuinely unnervingly creepy sequences, all of the emotional moments land, and the few missteps it does make (the odd cliche here and there) don't detract from the overall experience at all.
Perhaps this is all down to the directorial reigns being passed over from James Wan to Leigh Whannell. The film is a prequel to the first two movies and follows medium Elise Rainer as she comes out of retirement to help a family in need.
I think a lot of what makes this movie better than the last two is that it focuses on Lin Shaye, her performance carries the entire movie as it did with the previous two but she's really given time to shine here as the entire film is devoted to her.
The supporting cast are also really good. Stefanie Scott who plays Quinn Brenner, the girl who is being tormented by the demon this time around is excellent. I'm genuinely surprised I have nothing too critical to say about this film as the first movie made me extremely hesitant to even finish the series.
The demon effects are the best of the franchise thus far, though I did notice they literally stole the design of the gas mask wearing demon from the spectacular French horror film Livide, as it's a design I really like I'll allow it.
Hopefully the following entries maintain the same level of quality found here.
Insidious: The Last Key starts off quite strong with the first act focusing on the background and childhood of Lin Shaye's character Elise. This section is very similar to the sixth sense but while derivative it works for the character, who I really enjoy watching, Lin Shaye brings a warmth and depth to the role that elevates these movies even when they're not all that great.
The second act throws in a few unexpected developments that pulled me into the story and I was actually enjoying it up until the third act where it all falls apart.
There is still a lot to like, there are a few genuinely well crafted build ups to scares and it doesn't completely fall into all of the same issues that the first film has, namely its unrestrained use of music and annoying jump scares, but it has problems for sure.
Although the battle between Elise and the demon is not as laughable as the Darth maul lookalike in the original, its damn close. There's a whole bit about a ghost using a whistle to communicate which is flat out stupid and the ending is essentially a retread of the ending of the third film but nowhere near as good.
The best thing about this series by far is the dynamic between the team of ghost hunters and their leader Elise, they're endearing and bring a lot of fun to the series and that relationship remains as good here as it was in the previous film.
However everything else seen here was already done better in the third entry to the franchise. I'm left feeling that this film had a few good ideas and one consistently good performance but other than that there's not too much else going for it. It's enjoyable but very mediocre.
Insidious: The Red Door is the closing chapter for the Insidious franchise and for the most part it is a satisfying final entry, but there are a few missteps along the way.
The premise is that Dalton and his father Josh have suffered amnesia from the events of the second film and are both gradually recollecting their shared trauma as it begins to be unearthed and the evil that lurks in the world of the further enters their lives once more. That's the logical next step for the franchise to take but more time needed to be devoted to this, but it still worked none the less.
The biggest positive I can give for this film is the direction from first time director Patrick Wilson, he understands exactly what this franchise needs to work, gone are James Wan's pointless jump scares and the annoying and invasive violin score and instead he gives us slow eerie shots, with one jump scare in the whole film that is genuinely unexpected. He does a very good job, especially considering its his first film. He understands that the focus should be on the characters and not on reminding the audience that they're watching a horror film.
The biggest negative about the film is that it is quite anticlimactic and doesn't quite reach the heights necessary for a closing chapter, there is an entire plot around the infamous red door being opened, but it never happens, the evil remains more or less locked away throughout apart from a few glimpses here and there. That's all a bit pointless. As a character drama the film works, I was invested in their story but I left it with a sense that I needed more from the climax, it didn't quite take me where I wanted to go in the end.
That said there is more that works about it than does not, at its certainly not the worst entry, it's not a bad film but there's a better film lost within in it that wasn't given the potential to fully flourish the way it needed to.
Add comment
Comments