INSIDIOUS (2011)

PLOT

A family is at the mercy of menacing spirits who become hellbent on attaining the body of little Dalton's soul as it's caught in limbo

REVIEW

James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the masterminds behind the sleeper-hit SAW, play with ghosts once again after 2007's DEAD SILENCE with the extraordinary and greatly refreshing INSIDIOUS. Released in 2011, INSIDIOUS is a ghost tale that I absolutely loved and is one of the best Horror flicks I've seen in a long long time

INSIDIOUS features the Lambert Family moving into their cozy new digs, a nice looking home fit for the loving pair and their trio of children. Before they can even start to settle in, strange activity interrupts in the slightest most subtle way possible with a pack of books inexplicably falling off of a book shelf, the beginning of a nightmare that becomes far far worse. Their ghostly raw deal gets more dire when little Dalton fails to wake up one morning as a result of becoming mysteriously comatose, with no answer as to why or how. If that wasn't bad enough the continuous paranormal activity takes it's toll on Renai and she pleads with Josh to move away from the house in hopes of leaving it all behind, which they do, finally packing up and heading elsewhere to yet another domicile

It does not work, in fact, the spectral activity reveals itself more and more and proves to be a far bigger aggressor than previously thought

INSIDIOUS is driven by  feelings of hopelessness, as well as a great deal of sympathy for the Lambert family, they differ from most traditional movie victims through their great misfortune and you can't help but feel for them with the dreadful things they have to endure. The spirits strike at a very sensitive and deep part of their hearts, the life of their child, not just his life but his very soul. Despite moving away, the evil haunting them follows wherever they go, it appears inescapable, and it adds a good dose of gloomy futility. The odds are stacked against them and it compels the viewer to become more concerned for their fate and that of their kid

Speaking of which, the thought of Dalton being imprisoned for months in the ghastly world of the dead is distressing when you think about it, especially with it's grim occupants

The ghosts of INSIDIOUS are creepier than your average ghost, not for what they look like but by how cunning and persistent they are. Dalton's empty body wets their appetite and the race to claim it is spearheaded by a hellish being nicknamed “The Lipstick-face Demon”. While his red and black visage and clanging hooves make him the best looking one of the bunch, what sets him apart from the others is that pure evil trickles away from the very fiber of his being, he is wicked personified and a great villain

The cast is really good, Rose Byrne plays a good movie mom, classy, loving, concerned for her family and not one bit of the usual screaming bimbo in her. Patrick Wilson plays a good father that's apprehensive at first and attempts to process everything with rational thought, eventually being the one tasked with the rescue of his boy which he undergoes in a spine-tingling trip through the other side. Lin Shaye is fine as the psychic medium, her two assistants Tucker and Specs are okay as comic relief without coming off as annoying, and Barbara Hershey as Josh Lambert's mother Lorraine is an ironic addition as some will remember her from another ghost movie THE ENTITY, thankfully in this film she isn't raped by any of the ghosts

INSIDIOUS is a really great movie, sure to entertain and best of all, give plenty of scares, and there are good ones. Not the cheap kind of scares but frightening ones that are the product of a good story filled with omninous themes. INSIDIOUS knocked it out of the park for me and made me anticipate Wan and Whannell's next project even more

If you can, watch this really late at night and keep the room as dark as possible

THE GOOD

.The Ghosts – There's a nice variety here, from the playful kid, to the shotgun family, to the bouncer, the Mary Shaw lookalike and the Lipstick demon, they are an interesting crew with a hankering for Tiny Tim

.Spooky mood – INSIDIOUS is a perfect theater movie, the look and feel equals a truly harrowing time viewing it from a casual setting, seeing it in a dark theater with a big sound system must be a grand and jittery experience. I regret not seeing it when it was first released, I would have truly relished in the abundant fear packing the aisles

.The end – It's not so much a “twist” ending, but one that goes against type and shows that it doesn't have to end with everything nice and peachy, won't divulge it and it's not like it's a big shocker but it's certainly a welcome change

THE BAD

.The psychic – Lin Shaye's character is somewhat central to the plot but I must admit that when she came into the picture the ride I was very much enjoying came to a screeching halt. I can't even begin to explain the amount of irritation I feel when a character is introduced in a film simply to explain what is going on, it's flat out dull and I would have really preferred the madness explained another way that wasn't someone just blurting everything out

THE FINAL CURTAIN

One of the best Horror films of 2011, and another triumph from James Wan and Leigh Whannell, a truly spooky solid entry and I loved it, highly recommended

RATING 9.5