Director: Leigh Whannell
Cast: Lin Shaye, Stefanie Scott, Dermot Mulroney, Leigh Whannell, Angue Sampson
Certifcate: 15
Running Time: 97 minutes
Synopsis: Set a few years before the Lambert haunting, psychic Elise (Shaye) must overcome a personal tragedy and help teenage girl Quinn (Scott) who finds herself the target of a vicious supernatural entity.
The first Insidious film was fantastic, capturing the essence of old-school horror films such as Poltergeist. It was terrifyingly tense in parts; that unexpected house alarm still makes my heart hurt even on repeat viewings. The second ‘chapter’ was still passable, but definitely disappointed those who enjoyed the first. These viewers will obviously be rather dubious about this the third film, but rest assured Insidious 3 is a return to form for the franchise.
The events of Insidious 3 take place a few years before the previous two films, yes folks we’ve got a(nother) horror prequel. For once though the reasoning for the prequel setting is valid. We’re not delving into the mythology behind the monster/diseases etc., instead we merely visit psychic Elise at a tumultuous time. After the death of her husband, Elsie has vowed to never step foot back into ‘The Further’. All that changes however, following a meeting with distraught teenage girl Quinn who, after trying on her own to contact her recently deceased mother, has found herself the victim of a very nasty spirit – he makes the lipstick-face demon from the first film look like a pussy cat.
You couldn’t ask for anyone better than veteran actress Lin Shaye to hold a film. Her portrayal of Elise is layered and tangible, full of pathos with an undercurrent of stoic strength. Although sold in the trailers as being all about young girl Quinn, Insidious 3 belongs to Elise/Shaye who truly owns every frame she appears in. Older women rarely get to be at the centre of a film, unless it’s aimed at a specific age demographic that is, and horror is especially bad when it comes to representing those of that generation. Lets face it, horror films are traditionally about the young and nubile. So it’s refreshing that writer Whannell has chosen to put Elise front and centre, and Shaye proves that she’s the Godmother of the genre.
Leigh Whannell hasn’t just written Insidious 3, he directs it too. Previous outings have been directed by his partner in horror crime, James Wan. This time around Wan was off making cars sky dive out of aeroplanes in Fast and Furious 7, leaving the director’s seat open for Whannell. Having been a prolific name within the genre since Saw in 2004, fans are expecting a lot from the Australian. The verdict is that he isn’t half bad. His direction is tight and tense, showing only what he wants you to see, and in doing so keeping you firmly on the edge of your seat.
This being an Insidious film means that there are of course a whole heap of jump scares. Those familiar with the franchise, and it’s convention, may find themselves ready for most of these ‘jump scares’, though there’ll be a few that still make it through I’m sure. This third film doesn’t rely solely on the jump scare either, featuring some genuinely creepy sequences. One in particular, which features the closing of both a door and a laptop, manages to make the skin crawl.
Fans of the previous Insidious chapters will enjoy the continued inclusion of Specs (Whannell again) and Tucker. This time around the pair are working independently of Elise as yellow-bellied haunting investigators complete with their own web series. Granted it’s something of a cliché, but stick with it. Fans of the first two films should also keep their eyes peeled as the three films link together in more ways than you may think.
Insidious 3 is everything that the first sequel should have been. A pleasant surprise for horror fans with Whannell managing to create an (pardon the pun) insidiously creepy movie.
Insidious 3 creeps into UK cinemas on Friday 5th June.
