Insidious

Saturday 7th September 2013

Director: James Wan
Year: 2010
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lyn Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Barbara Hershey, Andrew Astor, Joseph Bishara

I really, really enjoyed this movie. Not, you realise, particularly because of the plot - just because I haven't seen a horror film for ages, and I miss them. It did help, of course, that as horror films go, this is a better one. Not having watched a horror movie in ages also helps - the fewer of them you watch, the less used you are to all the conventions, and the more scary a horror movie becomes.

In most ways, Insidious sticks quite firmly to those conventions. It focuses on a family who move into a new house, and suddenly demons start appearing; then one of the sons loses consciousness. Getting him to wake up turns out to be the only way to get rid of those demons.

The one time Insidious doesn't stick to horror film convention is actually the one time the movie annoyed me (which is rare for me). I won't say much more than that because it happens very near the end of the movie, but to me it just felt wrong.

Oh, and stick around for the end of the credits. As with all good horror films there's a bit more. It's nothing major and doesn't change the ending, but it's a nice touch.

Rating: 4 out of 5