Movie Review: Insidious

Insidious (2011) A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose son in a realm called The Further.

So...horror movies. They are a thing. I think horror movies in general need to be viewed very similarly to that of a comedy, in that if it scares you, you should be expected to forgive the plot holes within. Because I have struggled to find a horror movie from the past 5 to 10 years that is a phenomenal movie as well as being scary. Now granted the horror industry is in a major recession right now, as the genre struggles to find original ideas and instead has gone cash-grabbing with Paranormal Activity 17 and Saw 43 among others. Obvious exaggeration, but you get my point. However, every once in a while a new horror movie comes in and revitalizes the genre. Paranormal Activity 1 did it, and in retrospect I think Insidious at least came close to doing it as well. Also, even though I haven't seen it, I've heard The Conjuring definitely did it as well. I need to see this. Anyway, Insidious. The plot to this movie is all over the place, ultimately leading to a totally unbelievable third act that makes no sense at all. But, the third act is where the creepiness of this movie really comes out, even if it is in completely illogical fashion. I'll give you an example: the main villain in this is a Darth Maul-style demon. It is very sinister and creepy, and definitely has some good scares for it. We see his "hangout" in act 3, and with Tiptoe Through the Tulips playing in the background, we see all these incredibly creepy toys/tools that he owns, and it is really chilling. Then we see the demon himself using a grindstone to sharpen his nails. HIS NAILS. Are you serious? It took me out of the creepiness and just made me laugh at the movie. Must be a female demon right?

Let's talk about other things. The score. More scary movies need to use this type of a score. The only thing that was an actual song/music was Tiptoe Through the Tulips. Do yourself a favor: go and search this song on YouTube. It is so fitting in this movie, and almost single-handedly brings this movie up a few points. Well and the instrument score. Which is a simple yet very effective "banging" during the scary points of the movie. I loved it. Now the acting was ok. I love Patrick Wilson. I have a massive man-crush for him. But he is very forgettable in this movie sadly. No one steals the show. Which is the case in most horror movies that revolve around more than one person. Doesn't mean I didn't like the acting. It was just very meh.


Overall, this movie is scary. It gets the job done there. But man it's story is a plot holes galore-fest. So, if you are looking to cuddle with your girl as she's terrified throughout a movie, Insidious is certainly the way to go. Definitely more so than the original Paranormal Activity. But if you are looking for a horror movie with an actual plot, I would stay away. One final thing: I can't help but wonder what could have been with this movie. The budget was $1.5 million, and if it had even $1 million more to get some good writers and a bit more makeup and CGI, this movie could've been infinitely better. It does make me excited for Chapter 2 though. The director, James Wan, is coming off of the hugely successful and critically acclaimed The Conjuring, and has a bigger budget this time than the first time around. Yay! But we'll see if they can actually create a decent story after the ending of the first. It doesn't really set up for a good sequel in my opinion. But thats just me. Anyway....


The Critique: a typical horror movie of recent years: good scares, bad plot. And Tiptoe Through the Tulips.


The Recommendation: guys, remember the cuddle session comment? Ya watch it for that if nothing else. If you want a plot though....I will keep hammering this on the head because this plot is as confusing as a politician's speech.


The Verdict: 5.8/10 Above average (if not for Tiptoe Through the Tulips...probably around a 4.5/10)