Insidious

I will start pointing out a couple of flaws to avoid giving the impression that I think Wan’s new film is a masterpiece. Some scenes are clumsily edited, the actors are not very convincing at times, and the script could be a little more sophisticated – I was able to figure out one of the minor twists the moment the film began preparing for it. But sod those minor mistakes, I haven’t felt so scared from a film since REC (2007). When it comes to arousing fear "INSIDIOUS is insidious", really. The opening credits have more atmosphere and paranormal phenomena than the entire Paranormal Activity, and the quieter first half made me jerk with two jump-scares, making it clear that this film would not fall into oblivion. And I’m not speaking about any cheap jump-scares where a monster says “boo!!” in a thousand decibels. No, here the monster is standing quietly in a corner and you get scared when you notice it (together with the characters). In the second half things go full steam – a seance and astral travelling – and I was jerking nervously, almost non-stop. Back in the day, Saw shocked and excited me, Dead Silence was a pleasant surprise, but it’s Wan who has made a proper horror gem. Insidious isn’t a trendy horror video clip for the 21st century, but crystal clear terror like from an old master. As horror 10/10. (25/04/2011)

As long as Wan sticks to classic waters, it’s nothing miraculous, but it works. But as soon as he strays into uncharted, astral waters, everything goes up the pipes, because everything suddenly turns so dumb and ridiculous that there is no room for atmosphere or tension; which of course I expect, when watching similar genre movies at three in the morning with the volume on full. (25/06/2011)

Wan is a scholarly student of all the genre textbooks and manuals, which is fine on the one hand because then he can afford to subvert Paranormal Activity in two or three scenes. On the other hand, he doesn't bring us anything new, so when Whannell shoots it down (again) with his script, it runs out of steam. The self-ironic insert with the arrival of the "ghostbuster" duo still works, but the exorcism scene sends it down the drain. The second half was obviously not meant to be scary, but as a bizarre trip to another world, it is actually too tame, meaning that any positive impressions disappear as quickly as the flash of a camera. This is especially true when you guess the point halfway through the film. 3 ½. (06/09/2011)

Nowadays, James Wan is a horror movie god. It’s just a shame that when I saw Insidious, he started going around saying that he already has enough horror movies in his portfolio and that he’d love to focus on other genres. Because he just makes great horrors. He can do amazing jumpscares, he can create an absolutely magnificent atmosphere and the best of all, he keeps paying homage to other people in his industry. It’s obvious that movies are a great hobby of his. And even though I’m “only” giving this movie three stars, it’s still a movie that had everything a proper horror should. The story itself just didn’t sit right with me. But it got on a pretty good road in the sequel. (07/05/2014)

A pretty intense and scary ghost film that only uses the best of the tried and tested genre elements the viewer is always guaranteed to enjoy. The script is weaker (come up with an original horror film nowadays), but James Wan has really played with the form and his imaginative direction doesn't let you breathe practically throughout. The actors are also very good, the atmosphere is chilling and disturbing, and the music is strong enough to underscore the scares and amplify their effect. And if I said I didn't get chills down my spine during the final scene, I'd be lying like a politician... :) It has steamrolled Paranormal Activity. 80% (12/04/2022)