Reviewed by Melissa Garza
Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) move into a brand new beautiful home. Immediately, strange things begin to happen. A box of music disappears only to be found in the dark attic. Images are seen and then quickly vanish. Odd noises are heard throughout the house.
Soon, their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) hurts his leg falling off a ladder. Though scared, he seems fine and Josh and Renai put him to bed. The next day, they find him comatose. They rush him to the hospital but the doctors are unable to find anything wrong with him.
Things progressively get worse as Renai begins seeing ghosts in the house. Unable to stay in their new home any longer, she convinces Josh to leave. They quickly find a new home, but just as Renai finishes unpacking, she sees a small boy run by her. Knowing this apparition is that of a dead child, she asks her mother-n-law Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) for help. Lorraine tells her that she has had a dream where one of the ghosts is trying to take Dalton. She offers help through a friend, Elise (Lin Shaye). Elise is a psychic who is able to quickly see what needs to be done.
She advises that Dalton is in a state known as “the further.” He has the ability to travel into a different realm in his dreams. Only now he has become lost and souls are attempting to take over his body. Elise suggests a séance of sorts to bring the boy back. Renai is all for the idea, but Josh at first has his reservations and kicks Elise out.
It is only when Josh goes into Dalton’s room and sees drawings of the demons described by Elise that he decides it’s a good idea.
The conclusion lives up to the rest of the film and is both interesting and fun. It paves the way for a sequel which I’m sure with the money the movie made is already more than a consideration.
Overall, “Insidious” delivers in all areas a horror film should. It’s a modernized “Poltergeist” with great actors all around. The dialogue is well written and well delivered. There are moments that are genuinely creepy and enough jump-scares to keep the audience on edge.
Horror productions should take note of the way in which the film kept pace. They didn’t utilize the now typical gray ghostlike figures. Instead, they went with unsettling looking people and images.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
I liked this film too. It was really good compared to some of the horror movies I have seen. I really enjoyed it and it did give more than a passing nod to Poltergeist, another horror movie I liked. I do
hope there is a sequel and I was impressed with this overall..Great review!
Thanks Amanda!!! I loved it. It was so refrehsing to see a mainstream horror production that delivered like something out of the 70s or 80s. It’s a rarity nowadays!