I liked the first Insidious film. I thought it had some great scares and a pretty good story to back it up. The second film had a decent story with less scares so I was not overly fond of it. With the third film in this franchise, I expected a horrible film but instead got a pretty decent horror flick.
Once More Into The Further
There are quite a few strengths to this film. First of all, I love how the film opens. It just kind of opens with very little context, but as the scene goes on the audience learns everything they need to know. The acting in this film is also pretty good. Specifically, the main girl, her dad, and of course Lin Shaye as Elise. Each of these actors brought a sense of realism to their roles, especially Lin Shaye. She brings something extra to her role, some vulnerability, as well as some comedic relief. However, Not all the acting works (more on that later). The plot of the film is also very interesting. While it may be overly familiar in some aspects, it certainly sheds some light on the world created by the Insidious franchise. A major plus to the film lies in the camerawork and the scares themselves. I thought James Wan (the director of the first two) handled both of these aspects very well, but the new director (Leigh Whannell) does a great job as well. There is a particular shot of someone walking in a hallway. The shot is above the person, and spins around them as they walk. I love shots like these, and there are plenty of them to behold in this film. However, the main reason to go see a horror film is to be scared. This film offered some really good scares where I had to cover my face. There is the occasional jump scare, but not like how other horror films use. There is not a cat that appears our of no where for no reason. The scares felt like they had a purpose. Like the first two films, there are a handful of demons involved in the plot. I applaud the film for making these demons incredibly frightening to look at. Part of the reason his film is so terrifying is because of the practical use of people in horrifying costumes.
No Matter What You See. Stay Strong.
While the film does get many aspects right, there are a handful of problems. First of all, there is a love interest in the film that goes nowhere. I could only think that the reason it was in the film was to create depth for the main character. However, it resulted in a plot line that did not amount to anything. Another problem lies in some of the acting. The worst actor (and character) is the main girl’s younger brother. He had one small part in the film, but other than that he could be written off. I was not convinced by the acting, and he really brought the film down. Lastly, the writing is occasionally poor. By this I am referring to the dialogue and the plot. The dialogue often feels too on the nose, or even cliché. Many horror films have dialogue like this, but when the film tries to be more than a typical horror film, the dialogue really weighs it down. As far as the plot, it had a good pace to it, but I was not a fan of the last 10-15 minutes. I felt like the writers did not know what to do, so they partially rehashed the ending of the first film.
Closing Remarks
All in all, this is a horror film. I usually manage my expectations when it comes to horror films, but I am pleased with this one. It is far from perfect, but has many shining moments. I hope the franchise ends with this one. Even though it was good, it is best to leave it while it doesn’t disappoint.