Great first half, absurd second half

Rating: 6/10 (13 September 2013)

A family is seemingly haunted by spirits from another dimension, which leads to their young son going into a coma. The longer the boy remains comatose, the worse the haunting gets. A medium is brought to solve the issue, who discovers that the boy's spirit is trapped in another dimension known as The Further.
I haven't watched very many horror movies at the cinema; mainly because there aren't many top quality horrors out there now. But the pull of a double-bill, and the fact that this is made by the creator of the Saw franchise, dragged me here for this. And for about half of 'Insidious', I was pleased I made the decision to go.
The first half of the movie is terrific. The characters and the haunted house is all set-up nicely. You have accomplished actors in Rose Byrne (as Renai) and Patrick Wilson (as Josh) at the helm, and pretty good child actors. Like all good horror movies, the chill factor is amped up. Creaking staircases, dark doorways, scary apparitions – it's all here, and it's all very good. I'll be honest, I was a little scared. There's something quite unnerving about watching a horror movie in a dark cinema, it certainly adds to the ambiance.
The second half, though, is ridiculous. As we start to understand what is going on, and what these apparitions are, the film starts to descend into absurdity. The 'monsters' aren't really that terrifying once we see them properly, and the story becomes far too mental for my liking. The best bit about the second half is the introduction of medium Elise (Lin Shaye), who is a breath of fresh air. Similarly, the characters Specs (Leigh Whannell, also the writer) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) bring some much-needed comedy to the proceedings. These three characters keep the film watchable, but doesn't stop it getting ridiculous.
'Insidious' is definitely a game of two halves – the setup is nice, the payoff not so much. However, there aren't that many great American horror movies out there. So if we're using its peers as a comparison, then the film is definitely one of the stronger offerings out there. If you're able to tolerate the absurdity of the second half, then I think you'd enjoy the terror of the first.