INSIDIOUS is written and directed by the team behind the SAW franchise and produced by the people responsible for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. So with this modern day super team up by the creators of some of the most popular horror films in the last ten years you’d think that INSIDIOUS would be a slam dunk. Well it isn’t.
INSIDIOUS stars Patrick Wilson (Josh/MORNING GLORY, BARRY MUNDAY) and Rose Byrne (Renai/GET HIM TO THE GREEK) a young couple with three kids who move into a new home. Josh spends his days as a teacher leaving Byrne to look after the kids. As you can guess the house is creepy as Hell and Renai begins to hear strange noises and voices. One night their oldest son, Dalton, ventures into the attic and falls off a ladder he’s climbing. Everything seems okay but soon after he falls into a mysterious coma.
Fast forward nearly a year and Dalton’s condition hasn’t change but mysterious goings on are still happening and even escalating. Renai starts to see horrendous figures walking through the house and even their other son, Foster, says that he’s scared when Dalton walks around the house even though it seems impossible. When push comes to shove Josh decides to move them from the house to solve the problem, but it doesn’t. They soon get a physic investigator in and learn that it wasn’t the house but Dalton that is the one haunted. Josh has to send his subconsciousness into the astral plane to track down his son and save him from the demons that want Dalton’s body.
INSIDIOUS isn’t one film its two, the first half is a suspenseful, hitchcockian type horror film taking all the good parts of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY minus the ‘found footage’ look which is so popular nowadays. And this is great but the film quickly goes down hill the second they involve the ‘ghostbuster’ characters. They attempt to add some comedy relief to the film which is ridiculous and complete out of keeping with the story, leaving the audience to think ‘why the Hell are they in this’ and that’s not the only thing. The principle villain of the piece is a shadowy figure who is trying to possess Dalton’s body who to begin with is a great ominous figure but is soon revealed to what looks to be a sad middle aged man with painted black and red. They even add some rolling mist to the astral plane representation of their house creating something which is beyond corny. The film also shifts focus from that of Dalton’s possession to that of Josh and his past dealings with other worldly figures that he had repressed the memories of all so they can have a surprise heading which isn’t that great.
Overall the film could of been a modern classic which main faults seems to of been adding some bumbling characters and probably running out of money as the later half is so shoddily thrown together that it loses all creditability. So if you want to go see a scary movie this weekend go and see INSIDIOUS just remember to leave after the first 45 minutes. And if your a fan of the people behind the film check out our exclusive interview with James Wan and Leigh Whannell here!
INSIDIOUS comes out this Friday, April 29th.
