REVIEW – INSIDIOUS

INSIDIOUS
Directed by: James Wan
Written by: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simkins and Barbara Hershey

I have a confession: I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to scary movies.  I love to watch them – especially psychological thrillers rather than bloody/ gory films – and naturally I pay a toll after watching as my mind starts playing tricks on me.  INSIDIOUS was so scary, I slept with the lights on the night I saw it and haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in a week.

Our story begins after the Lambert family moves into a gorgeous old mission style home in the suburbs.  Josh (Patrick Wilson), a teacher, and Renai (Rose Byrne), a stay at home mom of three kids, seem to be living the dream life.  That is until their son Dalton (Ty Simkins) ventures into the attic and takes a tumble off a broken ladder.  He hits his head and then gets spooked by some very chilling noises in the shadows of the attic.  The next day, Dalton falls into a coma that baffles both doctors and the parents.

Cut to 3 months later.  Dalton, still in a coma, is receiving in-home medical care.  Later, while practicing the piano, Renai overhears a strange male voice coming from the baby monitor.  That’s where the spooks in the story really take off, and it leads the audience to question whether it’s the house that’s haunted, or Dalton himself.  Josh starts having disturbing visions and stays away from the house, thus growing more distant from his family.  Faster than you can say the word “realtor,” the Lamberts move to another home.  And wouldn’t you know it, the phantasms follow them there.  For the sake of everyone’s sanity, the big guns – in the form of Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) and her paranormal tracking team (aka the comedy relief team) – are called in by Josh’s mother (Barbara Hershey) to help figure out what menace is plaguing the family.

Director James Wan (SAW) is a master at heightening psychological tension with his direction and camera techniques.  The imagery is so vivid it’s ingrained in my brain – ready to pop into the front of my mind and scare the bejeezus out of me even during daylight hours!  It had me on the edge of my seat from the moment the opening credits rolled.  Since the frights were innovatively done, I was willing to overlook some of the goofy over the top moments in the dialogue (courtesy of long time collaborator Leigh Whannell) and just focus on the overall, well, insidious tone of the picture.  The bump in the night, that shadow figure you can’t quite make out; the film preys on all your darkest fears.

In addition to Wan’s direction, the production design by Aaron Sims, the musical score by Jeffrey Holmes, and the cinematography by David M. Brewer and John R. Leonetti are real standouts in INSIDIOUS.  The film wouldn’t have been able to sustain its creepy tone if it weren’t for the perfect set, lighting, and terrifying soundtrack that work together in a powerful combination.

INSIDIOUS isn’t quite on the same playing field as say THE EXORCIST or THE SHINING as those are in a league of their own.  However, INSIDIOUS is one incredibly terrifying entry in the genre, akin to POLTERGEIST and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.  It’s spooky creeptastic good fun.

4 out of 5