Insidious [2010] – ★★★★

👻 An imperfect, but “effective” and genuinely scary work from a talented director. 

Insidious, directed by James Wan (Saw (2004), Dead Silence (2007)), is one of those few psychological horror films that are genuinely scary without sliding into ridiculousness or dullness, and that also provides good entertainment in terms of fascinating subject matter, gripping plot and great sound effects. In Insidious, the plot centres on the Lambert family who recently moved into their new house. After Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins), a small boy, has his falling accident in the attic, and then mysteriously slips into a coma, strange things start to happen in the Lambert family’s new house. When Dalton’s mother Renai and father Josh (Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson) start to investigate the causes and nature of strange apparitions and noises, they soon discover that their child’s endless sleep has more to do with the house’s haunting state than they have ever dared to guess.

The film can be divided into two parts, and the first part is, arguably, more impressive and realistic than the second. In the first part, we see the Lambert family’s tragic realisation of their son’s condition and their house’s haunted nature. Here, the audience is absorbed into Lamberts’ daily-activities, and it is genuinely scary to watch the arising “paranormal” threat posed to the family. This effect is achieved by maintaining the atmosphere of suspense and fright, and the film succeeds in instilling a sense of apprehension and fear, building tension to the limit. Music (Joseph Bishara’s scary score) and camera-work add to this “creepiness” effect, and one is reminded of Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers (2008), which also uses a similar technique. Camera rotates and circles the house and Dalton’s room, closing up and moving away, contributing greatly to the effect of the unknown and the terrifying lurking beneath the home’s welcoming façade.

The second part of the film is more problematic and is, undoubtedly, the weakest link. Half-way through the film, the couple, greatly saddened by all the strange occurrences in their house, invites spiritual investigators, as well as a friend of Lorraine, an expert in the paranormal field, Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye). Unfortunately, it is at this point that the film changes its tone (including its colour) and turns quite humorous, with the two funny ghostbusters joking about, and the whole affair turning suddenly quite comical. While for some viewers this provides a nice “comic-relief”, so to speak, this turn is disappointing as it undermines the intense, serious and suspenseful atmosphere the film so painstakingly built from the the start. At this point, strangely enough, all the paranormal, ghostly appearances stop as the ghostbusters’ investigation continues. And, if that was not enough, as the film progresses, it gets even worse. We see quite lazy and cliché representations of the “other world” – “the Further”, which is, if not completely laughable, still remains no way near being scary. 

Contrary to some say, the ending is actually refreshing and unpredictable (at least to some extent) and rather scary. It feels “complete”: not in the sense that there will never be any sequels, because there is already one under way – Insidious, Chapter Two (2013), but because the ending feels satisfying in a thought-provoking way. 

**SPOILER ALERT**

The possibility of astral projection (an out-of-body-experience, where a spiritual body leaves a physical one to travel to other places while a person is asleep) features heavily in the film, and this is where Insidious “stands out”, so to speak, from all other “haunted-house” horror films. The presentation of astral projection in the film is also relatively accurate. The film clearly shows what happens when an astral body leaves a physical one, and the psychological effect it may have on a person. Apart from that, Insidious uses a wide variety of material – from South African ancient legends, describing out-of-body experience, to modern-day statements of astral projection travellers. For example, demon-like beings haunting the “other side” (dream-world) is an event which is reported most frequently by astral projection travellers, and the movie wastes not time incorporating this. The legend of the Old Hag, now translated into the “Old Hag syndrome”, is the one on which James Wan relies most heavily. Sufferers of this syndrome wake up to find that they cannot move, even though they can see, hear, feel and smell, aka “sleep paralysis”. Most report a great weight put on their chests, and a sense that there is someone sinister and evil present in the room with them. The ancient belief says that this is the Old Hag “riding” the sleeper’s back.