Director:
James Wan
Writer:
Leigh Whannell
Stars:
Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins
Movie:
From the creators of the popular 'Saw' series, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, comes 'Insidious', a blood free, but none the less effective ghostly shocker, that combines old school scares, with competent and assured modern effects.
Josh and Renai Lambert (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) have just moved into a new home with their baby daughter and two sons, Foster and Dalton. After only a short time in the house, Dalton has an accident in the attic, resulting in a few minor cuts and bruises. The next morning when his dad tries to wake him, he appears completely unresponsive. Later in the hospital, the doctors are left baffled by his comatose condition, as there seems to be nothing medically wrong with him.
Three months later and Dalton is still trapped in a perpetual state of sleep. As his parents try desperately to care for him at home, they begin to experience a number of strange occurrences. They first manifest themselves as unexplained noises, but soon escalate into objects moving around them, and finally horrible ghostly apparitions. In a desperate attempt to save their son they call in a medium, who explains that it may not be the house that is haunted, it could be Dalton himself. As the incidents become ever more terrifying and bizarre, the entire family must band together to try and stop whatever force has infested their lives, before they lose their son forever.
Taking the tired haunted house genre and its hackneyed conventions in a refreshingly new direction, Wan and writer Whannell - who also stars in the movie - manage to craft a genuinely frightening ghost story. One that is suspenseful, without resorting to needless gore, or overt use of CGI effects. This is beautifully evident in the eerie seance scene, where the fantastic Lin Shaye uses an old-fashioned gas-mask to protect herself, as she passes on fervent messages from the other side. This moment perfectly captures the unique nature of this inventive film, adding the right amount of change to familiar horror clichés. Another successful aspect of the movie is the look of the ghostly specters, they are genuinely unnerving apparitions, that add the perfect layer of menace to the film.
Unfortunately in the years since its release, 'Insidious' has turned into a never-ending horror franchise. Having only seen the first sequel, I can contest that it does indeed undo a lot of the good work seen in the original. As as the slow deliberate pace is abandoned for a more straightforward jump scare frights, it even adds the hokey element of time travel into the mix. Never the less, the original 'Insidious' remains one of the most satisfying ghost flicks to grace cinemas in a long time.
Rating:
'Insidious' is a finely crafted throwback to the glory days of 'Poltergeist' and 'The Entity', given a modern inventive twist. Although it falters towards the end somewhat, it is still effective enough to warrant the attention of any horror fan. As for the sequels it is a case of diminishing returns.