Had us jumping off the couch

Rating: 10/10 (9 August 2014)

I'd possibly even give 'Insidious' an 8/10, it's very, very scary. It certainly deserves higher than 6.8, but c'est la vie that's the public for you.
I have only one major criticism: the producers/director need to learn about DYNAMIC RANGE in sound. Whilst I don't mind loud bumps for making you jump, these aren't so much loud bumps as soooo loud it's WHAT?? WHAT?? I CAN'T HEAR YOU?? WHAT?? - this it does after pulling the childish trick of having everyone speak quietly so that you turn up the volume, then blows your eardrums during a scary part (cinema systems can handle it by themselves). It's immature, pretentious and frankly just irritating - if your playback apparatus has a compressor/limiter function, USE IT.
But of the story, the unfolding, the characters, the build-up - all the stuff that matters? Yeah, it's got them! Insidious has the lot.
It builds slowly, then starts to scare the hell out of you with macabre events, leaving you unsettled. Then it really starts to pour the action on.
It even provides some comic relief in a couple of places - nice to see something that doesn't take itself so seriously that it can't let its hair down - but this just seems to make the scares even worse because you let your guard down!
I liked Insidious, and I like the sequel too.