There is hope left for the genre after all

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2011)

As a hardcore Horror-fan I had begun to lose hope in the genre over the last few years, what with films such as Scre4m being churned out of the mixer. I can honestly say that after seeing this gem, my faith has been restored.
The film takes time to build suspense for the viewer meaning the action takes a while to kick off, however once it does, you are somewhat thankful that it took so long. Throughout the film, the writers use different styles of 'scares' ranging from your typical 'something jumping out of the closet to a sharp Violin solo' to 'creepy, spine-tingling imagery'. This meant that you literally had no clue where the next 'jump out of your seat' moment was coming, a feat not upheld by the majority of the genre today.
Despite James Wan; responsible for 'Saw', directing Insidious, there was not a spec of gore or a hint of torture-porn involved in it. This made it feel fresh and proved how films can be scary without having to sling intestines at us in 3D.
The film, however was not perfect. The last 20 minutes of the film act as a metaphorical gust of wind to the pyramid of cards that the first hour had built up. Some poor attempts at CGI and a flurry of pointless cheap thrills make it seem that the writers lost their way a little bit near the end. The whole concept of the film, although fresh in modern Horror terms, is not as unique as the writers would have you believe, which in some ways is not so bad however some fans may feel ripped off. There was also a degree of light humour provided by Leigh Wannell and his partner, which distracted from the fear slightly (altough I personally welcomed it).
Overall the film is suspenseful and immersive, taking the best parts of films such as Poltergeist, Shutter and Paranormal Activity and making a brilliant piece of cinema. This is almost certainly a 'must-see' for horror fans, especially those who haven't felt a true scare for a while.