Insidious Is....

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2011)

There are two kinds of haunted house movies: the one that builds dread and never shows a ghost and the one that takes you on a roller-coaster ride. James Wan's latest horror outing, "Insidious," is a combination of both.
Josh and Renai have moved into a new house with their sons, Foster and Dalton, and their baby girl, Cali. Renai is still getting over the nervousness of moving in, but overall, things are going quite well. Until Dalton falls into a sudden coma. That's when things go downhill. Strange voices vibrate off of Cali's baby monitor, loud noises erupt randomly, and Renai begins to see things. Almost certain that their house is haunted, Renai and her husband move into another house. But not even that can stop the terror. And when they invite a group of mediums/ghost hunters, they make the horrifying discovery that it's not the house that's haunted.
Next to the important fact that it's from the creators of "Saw" and Oren Peli, director of the ingenious fright-fest "Paranormal Activity," produced it, people will mostly recall the advertising campaign for "Insidious." A black screen constantly saying "Insidious is..." One who has never seen the film can only ask that question. What is "Insidious?" I can proudly answer that. It is easily one of the best and creepiest haunted house movies since "The Others," or maybe even "Poltergeist."
But the film does feel like this generation's "Poltergeist." That was James Wan and Leigh Whannell's intention: to make a ghost story that is low-budget, atmospheric, and reminiscent of the classic 80's haunted house films.
Despite maybe one happy moment between Josh and Renai and some comedy from the ghost hunters(played by screenwriter Leigh Whannell and Angus Simpson), there is nothing funny about this movie. Right from the opening credits, an immense feeling of eeriness and mood drips off of the film like common horror movie blood. Things start out creepy, and build to a terrific edge-of-seat fright that never flies off of the wheels.
While the demented, torturous ghosts(or demons) are extremely scary, especially to look at, it's the more subtle, quiet things in the film that get to me most. There will be moments when something scary is happening, and you barely even notice it. Other times, a chair will rock or a door will slightly open, and a chill is brought down the spine.
"Insidious" is filled to the brim with fantastic acting talent. Patrick Wilson("Watchmen" and "Hard Candy") and Rose Byrne("Adam" and "Bridesmaids") are perfect as Josh and Renai, especially Ms. Byrne. She may have been noticed in the horror sequel "28 Weeks Later," but as fun as that movie is, I've always longed to see her make a seriously scary movie. She's done it here, and has proved herself worthy of more jobs in Hollywood in many different genres. Other times, Leigh Whannell, Angus Simpson, and horror mistress Lin Shaye(known best because her father, Robert Shaye, created New Line Cinema, and helped Wes Craven give birth to "A Nightmare on Elm Street") nearly steal the show.
And then there's the work of director James Wan. His two previous movies, "Dead Silence"(a fun horror romp) and "Death Sentence," went by without much attention. But everybody knows Wan for "Saw." As creative and frightening as that film is, I was a little afraid that Wan would stay labeled as the creator of "torture porn." Luckily, he has broken that mold, and shown people that he can easily scare people with atmosphere more than a dude with a weapon. He also pays homage to directors like Tobe Hooper and David Lynch, as well as his first inspiration, Herk Harvey's 1962 film "Carnival of Souls." Thanks to this film, things have just gotten better for Wan and his partner, Mr. Whannell.
While there are so many more remakes and harsh criticism, even for the more original films or sequels, you might realize that the horror genre is getting better. With movies like "The Strangers," "Paranormal Activity," "The Last Exorcism," "The Descent," and "Black Swan"(yes, I call it a horror film), the future is bright for fright flicks. And "Insidious" has just been added to the list. You'll scream, you'll gasp, you'll quiver with fear. This is a haunted house movie that nobody is going to forget.
P.S. If you get freaked out by faces at your window, don't watch this movie.