Xanthe AngIf you’ve always wanted a foretaste of what the other world is like, perhaps Insidious might give you some insights on that. Be warned though – the further you travel, the darker it gets – are you sure the other world is where you want to reside?
The Lambert’s younger son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), has a nasty fall one night while exploring the attic in their new old house, from which he doesn’t awake.
When the doctor couldn’t scientifically justify his being in a coma, none of the characters, not even his parents Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne), wanted to entertain the possibility of a spiritual explanation. In actuality, Dalton had discovered his supernatural ability to segregate his soul from his body, also known as astral projection.
Intrigued by this new unusual discovery, and probably having outgrown his toy guns and swords, Dalton (believed to be not more than 10 years of age), decided he wanted something more than what his parents could offer. And so that fateful night, Dalton departed from his comatose body and went on a solo quest into the shadow world known as “The Further”.
His vacated body becomes a channel for the possibility of a demon possession and paranormal events of the poltergeist variety unfold. So objects defy the forces of gravity: Doors opened on their own, boxes started shifting, and unfamiliar noises were amplified through the walkie-talkie, like in your garden variety horror movies.
What is refreshing is that much effort has gone into designing grotesque visuals, such as a red creepy demon which bore an uncanny resemblance of Darth Maul, perhaps a tad more demented, to create tension among viewers, as the filmmakers of Insidious preferred to keep their horror antics simple.
The opening credits, in which the title appeared in blood-red serif fonts, combined with a meld of loud and cacophonous music, surprisingly managed to send shivers down the most aloof audience in the theatre.
A fusion of horror, fantasy and thriller, with various horror antics infused, the movie felt like a mash-up of psychological horror film 1408, and classic occult horror The Exorcist. Having a third act where audiences discover that Insidious isn’t really just about ghosts, had mellowed down the spine-tingling effect. There were simply too many twists in the story. Nonetheless, the brilliant and unique cinematography such as hand-held and point-of-view shots captured the fears and intensity, as well as the lighting and set design, which managed to set the spooky atmosphere, were commendable.
While portraying the intensity of the situation poses to be a challenge in otherworldly films as such, the casts in Insidious managed to convince the audiences with their realistic acting. Special mention should be given to Lin Shaye for stealing the limelight. Despite having to look silly in certain scenes, she still kept the professional composure of a medium.
Kudos to the creators behind Paranormal Activity and Saw, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who joined forces to put together a fantasy horror cum thriller, a production atypical from the usual excessive blood and gore.
If you fancy a show that occasionally leaves you guffawing and laughing yourself silly, Insidious, a mixture of gigs and gags, would be the kind of horror flick you would relish in. With sporadic comic reliefs appearing in the least expected scenes, such as paranormal psychic Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye) donned in a gas mask performing a ritual alongside her 2 hipster sidekicks, you’re likely to cackle.
If you measure a good horror flick by how many people discuss it incessantly, whether because of the silly antic, or a failed attempt to scare you out of your wits, go ahead and have a good laugh with a few of your pals. Otherwise, give this show a miss – it won’t have been worth your 102 minutes.
Movie: Insidious
Rating: 3/5
Opens: 26 May 2011
Duration: 102 minutes
Language: English
Age Rating: NC-16
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Fantasy
Director: James Wan
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose, Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins