In spite of its messy final act, Insidious is clever, well-acted and suspenseful.

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2015)

Summary: In spite of its messy final act, Insidious is clever, well- acted and suspenseful. 73/100 (B)
Insidious is a low-budget horror film directed by James Wan. The first act of the movie looks like Paranormal Activity 2 (without the found-footage), but after the first 25 minutes it becomes more original and some scary stuff start to happen. Wan directs very well, the movie boasts a nicely handled suspense, especially in its first act. In addition, it has terrific sound effects. The acting is superb, Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson were great in their roles. The two main characters performed by Byrne and Wilson were believable and very well developed. Insidious is a spooky, well-acted flick and probably Wan's first good film.
As I said above, the plot is refreshing and the scares are effective. The characters are well developed and some of them are funny (in a good way), a great example are the two male paranormal experts, both play a hilarious role without being annoying. The film scares you with some creepy noises and unexpected images. Its final act keeps the tension although it's a bit weak in comparison to the last two acts. During its final act there is a scene where this demon is revealed. It was very surprising for me, the demon itself looks very scary and that whole scene was so terrifying.
On the upside, Insidious has some thrilling scenes, good performances and unexpected scares; also, its second half is strangely original. James Wan is a director with experience in the genre and creates here a truly scary atmosphere that is reinforced with strong performances by Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson and Lin Shaye. I also liked the camera work, this movie has lots of creepy shots and a good illumination too. See this film if you're a fan of the genre or if you're interested on seeing a strange, weird ass horror film. Also if you like jump-scares. Insidious is a jump-scare fest, a very good one.
On the downside, its final act is strange, sometimes confusing and it almost ruined the whole film for me. During its first half, the movie kept the suspense and delivered lots of scares; however, in its final minutes the suspense was totally gone and the movie was not as terrifying as it was before. I liked it anyway, the whole production design is awesome and the special effects are well done in spite of being a low-budget flick. In conclusion, Insidious is a great, scary flick that boasts a creepy demon and originality. My only issue is the final act, it's such a mess. (B)