Movie Review: Insidious

There's nothing I love more than a good scary movie, with genuine scares rather than "jump scares." That type of movie seems to be a rare find these days, which is why I prefer the classics like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby and other films of that era. Movies in this day and time would rather have you jumping out of your seats at that very moment than be truly scared and bring home the terrified feeling.

I had high hopes while watching Insidious, a haunted house/possession story. This has been a movie I have been excited to see since I first saw the trailer. It piqued my interest immediately with the premise of a haunted house, which turned out not to be haunted, but the child living there to be haunted. That was a different type of haunting than what we normally see. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is bad. In this case, change did not work out for them.

Right from the start, Insidious tries to set the tone of eeriness. The introduction credits seem to harken back to the days of the Hammer Horror Films. A harsh intro which seemed to dispel the audience with me in the theater. Personally, I love the Hammer Horror films, though this throw-back to those movies seemed less like an homage and more like a parody. Perhaps it was from the overpowering score that played like nails on a chalkboard. Something seemed to be missing from the introduction, causing the eeriness to take a backseat to the cheesiness of the movie. 

Once the intro was over, the real story begins. One thing I must say, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne did a wonderful job as two concerned parents. They’re struggles to understand why their son has fallen into a coma-like state seemed genuinely real. Even with the material they were given to work with in regards to a script, these two actors pulled through spectacularly and were the true source for any scares the audience felt. It was also great to see Barbara Hershey as the father’s mother. She had starred in a similar movie which actually succeeded in creating an eerie feeling that terrified you to your soul, The Entity (1982).

It wasn’t until the movie began explaining more about what was happening that I began to truly loose interest in it. The resolution felt empty and also obvious after the initial explanation had been delivered.

I know quite a few people have enjoyed Insidious, but for me, this movie just didn’t live up to what I had hoped for or the hype I had heard from others. Though, I do recommend horror fans to watch the movie.