'Insidious'

'Insidious' (PG-13) (rental)

Writer: Leigh Whannell
Director: James Wan
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, Angus Sampson

"Insidious" is a horror movie that is heavily influenced by other horror movies and that is pretty much always the case. That is not a bad thing because it brings back memories of being little and seeing those movies. I felt warm nostalgia while watching "Insidious" and it is an effective shocker until the last half hour.

"Insidious" tells the story of a couple and their son who go through a test of faith as the son falls off a ladder and winds up in a coma. They believe the house they live in is haunted because the wife, Renal, sees shadows walking around the house. The husband, Josh, decides to move the family to another house but the evil spirits follow them there. The couple get some help to explain why these spirits still haunt them. They then learn that the house is not haunted but Dalton is.

"Insidious" from the starting point obviously is influenced by the 1982 horror film "Poltergeist". You have the family, the son being pulled into a spirit world and the help comes in the form of a psychic lady who will pull Dalton back. The lady, Elise, tells the couple that Dalton has gone into what is called "The Further" and when she says this I laughed but in a good way. The movie is also influenced by "The Exorcist" and "The Sixth Sense".

It is also I think influenced by one of my favorite horror movies, the cult 1981 film "The Entity". I believe this because the lead in that film, Barbara Hershey, is in this movie also and the film resembles it. If you have not seen "The Entity" and enjoy horror movies check out this very weird but effective movie. "Insidious" employs those same two geeks that come with the equipment to measure the disturbances that "Poltergeist" and "The Entity" had.

"Insidious" has a very effective first hour with a lot of good shocks and scares. The movie has better acting then a horror movie like this deserves and Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne are fantastic as the couple. They have the hard task of acting like they believe in this material that is a little goofy sometimes and they do a credible job. The movie is very well done especially setting things up, making us jump a little and getting us going. The last half hour though lost me when the movie became a light show, became noisy and just wasn't scary anymore. There were people made up as devils and mannequins with weird faces and it came off like a bad, local haunted house show. I did love the shock at the ending though and it is an effective one.

"Insidious" was written by Leigh Whannell and directed by James Wan who also worked on the "Final Destination" and "Saw" movies. I hate both of those series of movies but these two men do have talent. This is their best movie so far even though I can't say I liked it completely. They do a great job with the jolts, scares and setting up an eerie and foreboding presence. The producer of "Insidious" also made the fine "Paranormal Activitiy" movies. "Insidious" also resembles those a little but is not as good as them. Whannell and Wan are getting much better and I believe and hope their next movie will be a complete and scary masterpiece. "Insidious" entertained me but wait for it on DVD or cable because it is not something to rush out and see.