Hello horror fans! Sorry we’ve been a bit quiet as of late! We’ve recently been through a house move (before you ask, no, we haven’t moved to a large haunted house out in the sticks – wouldn’t that be a rookie mistake to make!) Anyway, having settled down now, we’ve started to get back into watching some great movies. One of these is the brand new Insidious instalment, with the directing baton being handed firmly over from James Wan to Leigh Whannel.
On the whole it’s a pretty good series, but we initially had mixed feelings about Chapter 3… the first two chapters had been acceptable, and the law of sequels dictates that the third one must always be awful. Chapter 3 was a prequel, to further confuse the situation. Still, we trotted off to the cinema and took our chances with what could be either terrifying or try-hard.
The film opens with our favourite clairvoyant and friend, Elise, who is angry and talking to ghosts (nothing new there.) Our protagonist, Quinn, is a typical doe-eyed teenage drama-junkie who wants to speak to her dead mum. Managing to convince Elise to communicate with the dead, against her wishes, she is warned to stop trying to talk to her mum because it is DANGEROUS. (Obviously, she ignores this advice or the film would end right here – boo!)
Life goes on for troubled Quinn and her distant father. The boy next door is in love with her, her Dad mispronounces Quinoa and Quinn, anachronistically, has a food blog. It’s really not looking good for her. Not only does her Dad not understand her need for complex carbs, but he also stops her from practising her Drama reading because her brother is late for school.
The drama audition of Quinn’s life is ruined when she spots a mysterious waving figure, and then to top it off she gets crushed by a car. Her legs suffer multiple fractures (and that’s lame because she needs her legs to go to the shop to buy more Quinoa…although her Dad gives her a bell, so that’s a plus. Now she can have kale chips, spirulina smoothies and other trendy grub on demand), but things are looking up. The boy next door called her a ‘traffic stopper’ and is tapping on the wall above her bed. How adorable. Except it’s not, because he texts her and is actually not even in. Quinn starts to realise that everything might not be totally groovy and that actually there might be some sort of demon-ghost-thing trying to reach out to her. The man who had waved during her theatre audition is introduced, and he’s behind the curtains, just creeping on Quinn and leaving behind a treacle-like substance with every step he takes (not really explained but probably a nightmare to clean up)…
The paranormal activities continue to escalate, and we bare witness to a number of cataclysmic events such as Quinn being picked up by the creepy old man and thrown onto the floor, where she faces a limbless, eyeless version of herself. Elise pays father and daughter a visit, where she confirms that Quinn brought back a spirit from the ‘dark world’ whilst trying to communicate with her deceased mother. The spirit isn’t looking for a free ride into the real world so they can do real-human stuff again like have a few beers in the pub or get a job in marketing. It has a more sinister agenda, where it’s trying to lure Quinn into the dark world so that she can be manipulated for evil-doings. So far, half of Quinn exists in the dark world (this explains her limbless doppelganger) so she needs to fully return to the real world. Let’s not forget Insidious fans, that Elise is literally fighting her own demons (and has been doing so for the past 2 chapters); every time she transcends into the dark world, a crazy witch lady (Josh) tries to kill her.
Elise has had enough, so Dad calls on bumbling ghost-hunter duo Tucker and Specs (who you’ll recognise from chapters 1 and 2), and the two set up some basic bait traps to capture some supernatural goings on. These gadgets are no match for Quinn, who’s in full-on-possessed mode and clubs everyone across the head with a wrench. She’s restrained before it all gets too much and Elise steps in. All parties join hands and have a seance, where Elise steps into the dark world ready to kick some demon butt. After a face-off with treacle-footprint man (who initially disguises himself as her deceased husband), Elise snatches up Quinn’s limbless counterpart and drags her back into the real world. Huzzah! Job done……….or is it? A sneaky little spook at the end hints at, maybe, a 4th installment? Who knows.
So, that’s the plot. Here’s our verdict…
All in all, it’s pretty good. If you enjoyed the first two films, or you’re just a fan of supernatural horror in general then this one will satisfy your horror cravings. It isn’t anything insightful or smart, or something which is going to make you question your existence whilst you lay awake at night. Take off your ‘horror snob’ hat, and put on your ‘hollywood blockbuster’ hat!
The atmosphere it creates is very similar to it’s two predecessors, and all of the trademark horror tactics are here but nicely and cleverly executed. You’ve got the “going into the creepy dark cellar/basement” shot (Elise following the treacle man), the ‘object mysteriously moving on it’s own shot’ (the bell), the “low lit seance-around-a-single-candle” shot (happens quite a bit), the “building-up-to-a-scare-but-it’s-nothing” shot (Quinn in bed) and many more. Where the majority of hollywood horror films rely on these techniques as if they’re some-sort of rulebook, and usually fall flat in putting them on the big screen. Insidious delivers these standard hallmarks very well without too much seriousness, balanced by tense buildups and climaxes; the cinematic equivalent of a fun roller-coaster ride. Plus I’m sure that, when this comes out on DVD or BluRay, the film’s characteristics and effects will translate well to your own home.
What stood out for me was that some of the film occasionally has a bit of an Asian horror feel to it. This is portrayed through Quinn’s steady descent into madness and, more notably, the portrayal and costume for the ‘gas-mask treacle man’ character. I can’t quite put my finger on it. With the camera fully focusing on him; a cold, icy stare into the gasmask accompanied by asthmatic breathing – I don’t know…it’s different, it’s effective. Not sure if this is what Whannel had in mind, but it’s a mysterious beast and a very welcome change to the usual hollowed-out corpse/translucent ghost girl that plagues a lot of supernatural horror movies. The hallways within the apartment block where Quinn and the family live are a bit Shining-esque (hooray!), and possessed Quinn is going to send a bit of a chill down your spine. Watch open-mouthed as she drunkenly hobbles with broken legs with a look of pure hatred in her eyes. The sound of her walking will make even the fearless of men wince a little, like a million people cracking their knuckles all at once over and over again.
This brings me to the acting, which is pretty sound from all members of the cast. Quinn Brenner is played by up and coming starlet Stefanie Scott; her first role on the big screen. Lin Shaye as Elise delivers a top-notch performance too in the same vein as her previous Insidious roles, conveying great emotion and acting skill without going over the top. Incompetent ghost hunters Angus Sampson (Tucker) and Mr Whannel himself (Specs) deliver their usual goofiness similar to the first two films, perhaps a bit too well. It detracted us significantly from the tension and fear that had been gradually building for the vast majority of the film, almost serving as a bit of a distraction.
But, hey, remember what hat you put on earlier. This is Hollywood – and Hollywood will deliver what your average cinema-goer wants. The results of the ‘Insidious franchise market research survey’ are in boss! Look, it shows that people like to be scared, but also like to laugh!” “…ahh I know, better bring out the lads. Make one of them ruin the atmosphere by jotting down Elise’s seance dialogue with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, make sure one of them looks disinterested as he eats an eccentric looking cupcake, and make Elise say a witty line as she’s about to go into full on battle mode – “come on, bitch!””. It’s a bit of a cheap shot all this relatable humour business especially wedged into a horror movie, and it can be a recipe for disaster a lot of the time especially if the humour is forced in. However, it works well in this case. People in the audience at our cinema screening had a good giggle (us included) and it again goes to show that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.
All in all, this is a good film that doesn’t sully the Insidious franchise. The end of the film opens up with potential for another chapter. Personally i’m a bit worried that the idea’s going to wear a bit thin after another instalment or two, but perhaps there’s still life in this old dog yet. Let’s wait and see!
The Lampy-metre
If you were spooked out by Insidious and Insidious 2, then this film won’t let you down. It’s not going to leave you pale and clutching to your blankie at night, but it’s great entry-level horror for novices and an enjoyable thrill for horror lovers.
It's Under The Bed... 