User Reviews

Of all the genre's that Hollywood has to offer, the most tattered of the bunch is without a doubt the horror department. I am so sick of these wannabe 'so called' horror flicks that belong on late night lifetime channel. Im sick of the same old parlor tricks and scare tactics that have been used for the past 10 years. And i am even more sickened by the fact that they keep making the same crap year after year. You would figure after great horror flicks like "The Decent" and "Paranormal Activity", studios would start realizing what actually works and what audiences want to see. Hopefully in the coming years, this genre' will come back to life.

When it comes to horror movies, i think the two most crucial elements are the cinematography, and the musical score. Actually, i prefer there to be no music at all. Almost all the great horror movies never use it, because they rely on scaring the audience with disturbing images, not raised music that makes everyone jump. If i want that, I'll go to a haunted house. When i go to see a horror flick, i want it to leave a lasting impression. However, movies like this are the one exception.

This film had such amazing cinematography, that i didn't even care about those 'raised music' sequences. I rarely get creeped out at the theater, and this movie scared the crap out of me. I'm talking' sweaty palms, eyes wide open, my body sunk all the way down in my chair scared. And for those of you who have read my reviews in the past, i hardly ever say that about a horror flick. And what really sold it was the cinematography. This film is packed with tons of really creepy and disturbing images. So much in fact, that you will hate walking into your dark house alone. Yes, they do use the same scare tactics, but since everything in the movie looked so damn creepy and demented, i for once didn't want the lead female to hurry up and open the basement door and get it over with.

The storyline is pretty decent. It's not an amazing concept or genuinely creepy on it's own. But it does a decent enough of a job to keep your interest and sell what your seeing unfold on screen. And it's safe to say that this is a very different take on your typical haunted house.

Bottom Line......holy crap, i just realized that this movie is only PG-13. Is it possible for a movie to be scary as hell and only be rated PG-13? The answer is yes, and this is a prime example of that. You know when a horror movie has done it's job? It's when it scares you both in the theater, and hours later when you try to sleep at night. Tonight, i will have lots of trouble sleeping. I can easily say that this will probably be the best horror movie of the year.

The film Insidious has done something many horror movies have failed to do recently, and that is to be scary.

Insidious has a lot of really intense moments that scare, and then grab hold of you. Its not entirely made up of "make you jump" scenes, which it does have, but scenes with genuine horror.

Insidious has taken a risk with doing something original, and It works here for them. Without giving anything away the movie does not just talk about whats scary, or show the the aftermath of something going on in a room that you can only hear until its over and the door magically unlocks. Insidious shows you whats scary, and quite often reminds you whats there, and waiting in the dark.

When I first saw a preview for this movie, I knew it looked like it had potential. It had been a while since I saw a decent scary movie so I was looking forward to it. I went into it expecting some scares but nothing too bad. Wrong. This movie scared me out of my wits. I don't think I have ever jumped more during any other scary movie. The audience was spooked too. I saw many other people jumping out of their seats and even heard a few actual screams.

What I loved about this movie was that it actually tries to scare you, not gross you out. The images are frightening for sure. Insidious doesn't waste any time trying to creep you out. The scares already start with the opening credits. I sure was not expecting this to be one of the scariest movies i've seen but it lives up to that. That being said, I don't think I'd have the guts to see it again!

I've seen some of this one awhile ago I don't remember much just figured I'd get caught up before the Insidious:Red Door comes out. I appreciate a lot of James Wan projects and Leigh Whannel is phenomenal! Patrick Wilson has also been great for last couple decades he works well with Rose Byrne. The flow and terror is much better than I could've imagined I'd agree with someone else better than Paranormal Activity. I'm surprised more don't appreciate James Wan he's great at his craft since Saw he's had some great movies and some that weren't as good I'd defiantly recommend this! The terror hit the spot especially with the tip toe song that's brilliant.

*** out of (****)

Judging by the anticlimactic advertisements you'd think, just why? There's an evil child film almost every year, and what separates one from the rest? You have every right to think so, but not with "Insidious". Trust me when I say it. "Insidious" is an entirely different beast. One that actually resonates with scares and intrigue. One that relies on character development, and a script to hold it together. This isn't a one trick pony, it's a well made film with some solid production values thrown in as a bonus. If you don't have a film to see this weekend, make sure you make it this one.

"Insidious" revolves around the perfect couple. Beautiful kids. A new home. It's all smooth sailing until Dalton is in a supposed "coma", but the actual reality is that he's haunted. What will Dalton's family do to stop this entity?

First of all, many complain that the second act bogs down the film and is inferior to its first half. I wholeheartedly disagree. I think as a whole the film is just fine. Yes, there's a drastic tonal shift mid-way, but that doesn't detract from the experience. The first half plays a typical haunted house flick, except it's actually scary, and the suspense is well built. Then the second half is like a cross between "Poltergeist", "House of Wax", and a little of "Beetlejuice" sprinkled in for good measure.

Furthermore, the performances while nothing to write home about, are pretty decent to say the least. The two leading protagonists do their job and Dalton is pretty solid given what he had to work with. Moreover, the script is very inventive, and has multiple twists and turns. Yes, this isn't the most unique screenplay, but it still stands on its own, and is actually quite effective.

To top it off, the production is just very beautiful. This movie is very easy on the eyes when it comes to cinematography and location. Now the question everyone is dying to hear. Is it scary? I'd say yes, but don't get too carried away. If you walk in thinking your going to have nightmares, or if you're going to see Rosie O' Donnell, chances are you'll be a little disappointed. However, if you're going in expecting a creepy thriller that just happens to have a few intense moments, you'll be in for a fun night out. Also, I love the nostalgic factor this movie has. It feels as though it was made in the 80's. Old school horror strikes back!

With a restraint heavy PG-13 rating, and a middle-of-the-road concept, "Insidious" isn't looking too pretty. However, looks can be deceiving. This is one movie that doesn't mess around, and doesn't play it safe either. I can easily say I will be revisiting this film from time to time just because it's so fun. You'll laugh, you'll jump, you'll be entertained. This is what a fun night out should be like. Get your large popcorn and soda, and sit along with the crowd. Be prepared for a good time.

I went into this movie confident that it would be a cheesy, campy romp with the same "tried and true tricks of the trade," like when the hero is investigating the creepy music coming from the basement and a cat jumps into frame, but I quickly discovered that this would not be case with Insidious. After watching the move and obsessing on it for about 12 hours now, I can honestly say it's one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. In fact, there were several points during the film where I screamed like a 13-year old girl at a Justin Beiber concert. Keep in mind I was consciously trying my hardest to keep my composure, mainly because I was sitting beside my new girlfriend of 2 months. She, incidentally, didn't make a peep; thankfully, I later found out she had her eyes closed the whole time.

I was also expecting to see some blood and guts, especially coming from the guys who made Saw, but there wasn't a drop. Instead, they used just about everything else in their arsenal to scare the bejesus out of me and everyone else in the theater (my girlfriend included). From literally the opening credits, they created an intense, haunting tension that didn't leave my body till several whiskeys and half a Xanax later. And the movie constantly feeds that tension, making even the characters' mundane family life somehow seem utterly terrifying. I was actually exhausted leaving the theater from all of the uncomfortable squirming I was unable to control. I'd say it's the most calories I've ever burned while watching a movie (well, at least a PG-13 movie).

Overall, the movie was great. It was crazy scary, thoroughly entertaining, and even surprisingly funny at times. Having said that, it will be quite some time before I watch another horror movie; I have no desire to be turned into a frazzled bundle of nerves again anytime soon. So, if you plan on seeing this movie, please consider this a cautionary reminder: it's probably best to go with someone who's already witnessed you have a complete physical and mental breakdown, so as to avoid an embarrassing drive home. And maybe bring a Xanax as well.

Haunted houses and questionable children have composed many a horror film, but there's a reason they work. When they do so despite years of being recycled, it's usually thanks to talent. "Saw" director James Wan found something of promise in "Saw" writer Leigh Whannell's story "Insidious" and the same must've gone for stars Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson. Horror films rarely get that infusion of talent, and as such, "Insidious" does not get lost in that dark dimension of forgettable horror.

Josh (Wilson) and Renai (Byrne) Lambert have moved into a new home with their two young boys and infant girl. Like always, paranormal oddities occur in small doses here and there until one morning they find their son Dalton in a coma. A few months pass and they move Dalton back home. The freaky incidences increase and eventually Renai sees the ghosts. She convinces Josh to move them into a new home, but it gets worse, so they bring in a paranormal expert (Lin Shaye) who provides them with some shocking revelations about the state of their son.

Like "Paranormal Activity" (a film thats producers have credits on this film unsurprisingly), the idea is to mount tension through paranormal phenomena and expert suspense. Wan provides a number of perfect angles and color to achieve the various moods. As much as you've been spooked this way by films before, you can't simply shirk the way the film creeps in — Wan won't have any of it. In fact, nothing here in terms of scare tactics will come as a revelation; many with a higher jumpiness tolerance will likely find it boring in many regards. No gore or horrific images to be found here — "Insidious" does it old school.

Once Shaye's character Elise and her two employees arrive on scene, the story mutates from paranormal suspense to other-worldly mystery. Elise explains what's going on — something that involves Dalton's soul being lost in a realm called The Further — and now they must rescue him. Whannell constructs an interesting mythology here and the story goes from horror to more of a mystery/thriller with demonic elements. In a sense he borrows from science fiction in establishing the rules of what's going on. It's mostly interesting, but in many instances flat-out weird to the point that horror purists might not like it.

The best way to describe "Insidious" is first half "Paranormal Activity" and second half something akin to Sam Raimi's "Drag Me To Hell," which equates to a nice balance between self-seriousness and horror fun. The "X" factor would be the performances. Byrne keeps Renai from becoming an obnoxious scaredy cat as her role's importance dwindles in the latter half of the film, in which time she still keeps Renai relevant. Wilson's character is no typical over- macho father figure or anything. Together they provide an unusual boost for horror, which typically strives for random faces with questionable experience.

In general, "Insidious" possesses a professionalism not often seen in the genre; most horror films go for cheap across the board from the budget to the talent to the thrills. Although "Insidious" lacks distinctiveness in terms of story, not an ounce of it can be perceived as immature or hollow. What a rare (but not unusual) treat.

~Steven C

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INSIDIOUS is yet another one of those Hollywood ghost stories involving a possessed child. It follows a predictable format, with minor, isolated incidents gradually giving way to larger-scale, more pronounced apparitions and events before culminating in a full-scale onslaught of evil. And it's all rather silly.

I enjoyed the first half of the movie. It's here where things are kept subtle and straightforward, with effectively creepy scare scenes and half-glimpsed figures spotted lurking in darkened rooms. So far, so good. But around the halfway mark, the film introduces a trio of paranormal investigators and things quickly descent into POLTERGEIST-style farce.

The problem with depictions of a hellish limbo or netherworld is that, in order to make something scary, you have to pretty much identify with the different fears of each viewer. Sorry, but I don't find tussles with greasy-looking hobos and Darth Maul from THE PHANTOM MENACE to be particularly frightening; in fact, there's something pantomime about the whole thing.

The actors, including the dependable Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, do their best but at times in the latter stages they seem to struggle to keep a straight face while the ludicrous events increase in scale and speed. It's a shame that the whole thing goes to pot, because if it had been handled more sensitively (and with less sensationalism) by the team behind the SAW franchise then it could well have worked much better.

I went to an early screening of the movie last night and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I felt like a little child watching The Exorcist for the first time. James Wan did a very impressive for only an $800,000 budget for this movie. If you're going in the theatre expecting to see the typical, run of the mill, haunted house flick you will be sadly mistaken and surprisingly pleased at the same time.

The parts that I liked most about the film is the detailing. Everything in the movie means something no matter how small and I love that when the suspense builds up for the audience to be scared, you won't be disappointed to find its just the dog or the tree brushing against the window....it will definitely be something to be scared of. The people sitting beside me kept laughing at me because whenever the suspense would build I would say to myself "uh uh....uh uh".

But enough of my rambling, the plot was definitely original and James Wan and Leigh Schanell definitely succeeded in bringing the audience something scary, suspenseful, funny, emotional, and frightening all at the same time. The score is amazing. The use of all sound design was great specially since they weren't any fake screams. LOL. The best acting performance, hands down, was Lin Shaye. She did an amazing job with her role. I can't say anymore without spoiling the movie. All I can say is, if you LOVE a good scary movie then you must see this movie.

Out of all the horrormovies out there, this does not sit on top along with the scariest, even if it has some iconic and effective jumpscares! If you like jumpscares though, this movie is just for you! It does have some creepy scenes, setting and imagery that will get under your skin at times!... but it also has a lot of jumpscares with loud music, noises etc

The story might not be something new, but it does have a unique and fresh premise and take on things with "The further" and astral projection which makes sure it does not turn into an averahe possesion movie!

The characters are fine and memorable and the franchise still attracts attention since we now got a Fifth movie coming!

While not a perfect horror flick, Insidious is certainly one of the best of its kind in many a year. Not since Drag Me to Hell have I enjoyed myself so much watching a scare flick. While the formula is a redux of many a ghost story and heavily reminiscent of Poltergeist, the movie still feels fresh and original.

The scares in both the cheap and unique variety and it is all in good fun. Gore is definitely underplayed and the visuals and atmosphere are what yank you in and nail your eyes to the screen.

Hopefully, the team holds this high standard in what is sure to be a new franchise from the Saw crew (overdone as those movies have become). They certainly have me locked in for Insidious II.

Just came back from watching an advanced screening of " Insidious " tonight with my wife, we both liked it a lot. When it comes to Horror films, there are always the same Horror formulas which film makers really can't escape when making a Horror, because there aren't much they can work with and they are limited to that same formula. So Insidous borrows many of its ideas from other Horror films, one comes to mind is 1982 film " Poltergeist ", but here we have a family of 5, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play the parents of 2 boys and a little baby girl. after a slow build up, a small accident occur and their older son falls into comma or so it seems !! soon after, weird things start to happen at the house and the mother suspects evil spirits are in the house !!

A simple story that as i said was done before, however, I thought it was done differently here, there was a better atmosphere and some elements of the plot stood out as being fresh that made this film unique somehow. As scares goes, this was definitely scary, there were several moments in the film that gave me goosebumps !! there were also the classic jump out of your seat moments too. Some scenes were creepy and the mixing of music and sounds were done superbly to add to the Horror. so the movie does deliver as far as scares are concerned.

Acting was superb too, all cast involved did a very good job, particularly Rose Byrne whom I'm fond of after watching her in the excellent TV show " Damages ". Patrick Wilson was also good here.

the atmosphere was creepy, the director managed to catch nice footage of the house and other elements of the film.

So in summary, get ready and grab your loved ones and go catch this movie this Friday, it entertains. very enjoyable and scary, and even though it borrows ideas from other Horror films, it never imitates, it stand out as a new and fresh take on traditional Horror !!

I saw the screening of this movie Weds, March 23, 2011 and...not bad. Three things to know.

1. The acting is good, but the music was great. Very corny, orchestrated string music and loud. 2. The story was actually easy to follow, and not predictable till the very end. I don't think anybody in the theater knew how the ending would be till the very last five minutes of the film. 3. As for being scary, it's more creepy than scary, also jumpy because of the music. Creepy as in "little children creepy" with those little giggles and laughs they have.

Give the movie time because it takes a while for the movie to get going, but that's what makes this movie good. A creepy person doesn't just come up and scare you right away cause that's just weird. A creepy person sends you messages of I'm there, but you can't see me. Like someone hiding in a bush, and you see them for a split second and you look back and they aren't there anymore. If you are frighten or startled easily, then this is the movie for you. But if you aren't scared easily, then you'll just find this movie really creepy.

Insidious is the third film in my (reverse order) mini-marathon of James Wan horrors after Malignant (which I loved) and The Conjuring (which I hated). It starts off as basically the same film as the latter: Renai (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) are a young couple with small children that has recently moved into a new home, when one morning, their oldest son Dalton doesn't seem to wake up. Turns out he's in a "sort-of coma" (it's unlike anything the doctors have ever seen!). When other weird stuff starts to happen around the house (old-timey children running around, things moving around on their own, banging on doors at night etc.), Renai starts to become convinced that their new home is being haunted by malevolent presences. And unlike your average horror movie protagonists, the family doesn't ignore the obvious signs and actually moves houses. But when the problems don't stop after they have moved, they call in the help of two young ghostbusters and, later on, a psychic called Elise. Stop me if you've heard this before.

But this is where Insidious starts to diverge from The Conjuring (I know it was released before that film, but I watched them in reverse order). My biggest problem with The Conjuring was that it uses the "based on a true story" angle to legitimize its horrors. It tries very hard to claim its paranormal phenomena as being of this world, by using a "real life case" of "real life paranormal investigators" Ed and Lorraine Warren. And the more deadly serious it got in its treatment of the paranormal, the more ridiculous (and less scary) I found the whole thing to be. Insidious, on the other hand, makes no attempt to claim its supernatural presences as part of our world. An explanation for the strange occurrences that have been happening to the Lambert family is offered by Elise, in which esoteric phenomena like astral projection and out-of-body experiences are mentioned as well as another dimension occupied by spirits and demons ("The Further"). It's a very exposition-heavy few minutes and of course it's all silly nonsense, but at least it's original and fun and it firmly sets the film in its own fictional universe where we gladly suspend our disbelief and accept that anything can happen.

A detail that I liked is that we don't have to go through the tedious business of the protagonists doubting each other or the imminent danger itself. When Renai tells her husband that she can feel the evil presences in their new home, Josh is initially skeptic, but just a few minutes later (after a particularly eventful night) the family are seen moving houses. Again when Elise explains her theory about Dalton being trapped in the Further: Josh's (very normal) first reaction is to call her out for being dangerous and exploitative (as one would), but after being confronted with a piece of evidence (one of his son's drawings that is a bit too specific to ignore) he is quickly persuaded.

Ultimately, Insidious' main goal is to scare the bejesus out of you and it absolutely achieves that. From the opening credits scene (which I really liked) the filmmakers do a good job of establishing a creeping sense of dread that slowly gets under your skin, balanced with some more classical jump scares. While I rolled my eyes at the abundance of clichés in The Conjuring, even these more "traditional" scares in Insidious just worked for me. Then there's the intense finale, which may run just a bit too long, but is extremely unnerving anyway. The whole set piece inside the Further is a beautifully realized nightmare, with some seriously creepy imagery that gives this dark realm an appropriately surreal feel.

In summary, Insidious is an entertaining horror film by James Wan that doesn't reinvent the genre, but offers an original twist on the classic haunted house story. It does a good job of building its own world, while maintaining a tense atmosphere throughout and sporadically making you jump out of your seat. The film thankfully avoids annoying horror movie clichés to extend its plot, like the protagonists who are oblivious to the dangers around them. Finally, there's a satisfying (if slightly overlong) climax, in which some indelible images are exhibited that'll be burned into my retinas for some time to come. Overall, I'd still rate Malignant higher: that film just went completely balls to the wall, which made it ridiculously enjoyable to me. And although this film certainly doesn't look bad, the cinematography of the former was even better in my opinion. But I definitely liked Insidious a whole lot better than The Conjuring, which was completely unoriginal, took itself way too seriously and didn't manage to entertain or scare me at all.

I'll start by saying this is a pretty good horror movie. It's not breathtaking by any stretch, but it's worth a watch if you haven't already.

I think I big problem I have is that it's quite frankly a tired premise that's been used so frequently in horror the last 20 years or so. Granted this is an older film now and I may not have felt this way when it first came out, but if you're watching this for the first time this could well be an issue for yourself. Nothing really surprised me as we've seen it all before. This isn't me saying this is a bad movie, just if you're watching in 2023 it could well feel a bit tired and boring even.

The characters was my other issue, I didn't really find them engrossing or interesting enough to really root for them. I know there's only so much you can do with this genre of horror, but I would have liked a little more depth and intrigue from the parents in particular.

Is this film scary? Yes. In a sense that the plot did a fantastic job of keeping suspense throughout the whole hour and a half. The jump scares felt a little obvious to me, but the suspense really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

It's 100% worth a watch, it had me feeling scared and I'm intrigued to watch Insidious 2. So all in all I can't complain.

Insidious is totally in my list of favourite horror movie. I will not say that this will be the greatest horror movie ever but the cinematography is great and makes the whole mundane plot seems interesting and manage to crap the hell out of me.

I hate it when some so-called horror movies use old cheap tricks like the creepy music or sound effects to compensate their poor performance. I watched many scary movies and Insidious is the one that really made it sound and seems so real that it allows audience relate to it. I was expecting to see some people died in horrible way where their guts and bloods are everywhere and floor splashed with red tomato juices. You'll never have to see that kind of scene in here, they keep it as close as possible for you to relate in your real life and in your room while you are struggling to sleep.

I know there is some fanboy out there that thinks I just committed sacrilege by saying that but for me it's very true. Don't let the PG-13 throw you off; consider the standards of today, you have to be 1 step from a snuff film to get an R rating now a days. To me a scary move doesn't just make you jump or squirm in the theater, but its stays with you. Making you check in the back seat, under the bed, and question every little bump in the night. Well Insidious did it, the first thing I said leaving the theater was, "well I'm never sleeping again, how bout you?" and what's more amazing it's not gory, which is something I would have expected having the SAW guys on board. Instead the movie works from the Paranormal Activity angle; building suspense to the point where your almost screaming "oh just do it already" cause you can't take it anymore (but in a good way). And one of the biggest things I noticed while sitting there was the "cold" feeling I had through most of the movie, I haven't had a movie do that to me in a long, long time. If this is the type of movie was can expect from the Paranormal Activity and Saw guys then they need to make more movies, and pronto!