Insidious (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  James Wan is slowly becoming one of horrors finest young directors. With a string of solid horror films under his belt, James Wan is one of the most talented directors in the genre today. After such films as Saw and Dead Silence, Wan delivers Insidious, a truly terrifying horror film.… More
  James Wan is slowly becoming one of horrors finest young directors. With a string of solid horror films under his belt, James Wan is one of the most talented directors in the genre today. After such films as Saw and Dead Silence, Wan delivers Insidious, a truly terrifying horror film. While most films in the horror genre nowadays are remakes, Insidious is a refreshing take on the traditional formula. The story is nothing new, but it works so well due to a strong script, great acting and directing. Insidious is a treat for old school horror fans looking for genuine scares and jolts. This film is one of the most frightening films that I've seen in the past few years. Although not perfect, Insidious is a smartly crafted horror film that leaves you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. This film proves that clichés sometimes do work, and work well because of James Wan's effective directing and good storytelling. Most directors use overdone clichés to tell their story, and it fails miserably. This is not the case with Insidious; James Wan uses the traditional horror clichés to his own advantage. This film ends up being one of the most memorable and creepiest horror flicks in the last ten years. If you're a fan of traditional ghost stories, then pick this one up. Blending haunted house elements with other supernatural elements, Insidious is a terrifying thrill ride that is sure to scare the living hell out of you. A truly unique take on old school horror, and one that works brilliantly well.

• Alexander D

  
  PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 + THE LAST EXORCISM + INCEPTION = INSIDIOUS. (To use the most modern examples, of course.) This movie is probably the freakiest piece of work I have ever before seen in my life (well, maybe that's a good bit of exaggeration), and I am a HUGE horror movie… More
  PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 + THE LAST EXORCISM + INCEPTION = INSIDIOUS. (To use the most modern examples, of course.) This movie is probably the freakiest piece of work I have ever before seen in my life (well, maybe that's a good bit of exaggeration), and I am a HUGE horror movie buff. It has screeching in the background music, mucho disturbing scenes, and stuff that just freaks the hell out of you. It really should be rated R--let me make that VERY clear. Ranked #6 of 2011.

• Jason O

  
  I'm not one to get scared or jumpy at a movie at all, and to me, "The Exorcist" was never scary at all and mega overrated. But..."Insidious made me jump a few times and I found it to be gripping throughout, but especially the latter half. Scariest movie… More
  I'm not one to get scared or jumpy at a movie at all, and to me, "The Exorcist" was never scary at all and mega overrated. But..."Insidious made me jump a few times and I found it to be gripping throughout, but especially the latter half. Scariest movie I've seen in several years, or maybe ever. Full of interesting twists too...everyone has their own opinion, but I can't see how any horror film fan can think of giving this < 4 stars!

• Anthony L

  
  *Spoilers* Considering the Haunted House genres has been done to death, Insidious doesn't do a bad job and it was a brave move by it's makers that paid off. It's not brilliant though. The first half is a case of 'It's what you don't see' that scares… More
  *Spoilers* Considering the Haunted House genres has been done to death, Insidious doesn't do a bad job and it was a brave move by it's makers that paid off. It's not brilliant though. The first half is a case of 'It's what you don't see' that scares you and this works - better than Paranormal Activity in my opinion. It's the second half that really lets it down though, when you begin to see the Insidious ones the scares become sparse. It's a little cliched really, you wait an hour to see a Ghost and when you do it's just a bunch of pale looking people in Victorian clothing. Boo indeed. Actually, the 'Red face in Kitchen scene was good but it was the only 'Jump out of your seat' scene which there should have been more of. The fantasy end comes very close to cheesy 80's horror storyline-wise but without it being as fun as that was back then and by the end you're really not that bothered about how it ends because chances are you've already working it out (Not that it makes much sense). Nice to see Lin Shaye in a good role though, she's earned it after all the crap she's been given all these years. I've seen better but I've seen a hell of a lot worse.

• Carlos M

  
  Possibly one of the scariest movies I have seen in the past few years. It is very well directed, avoiding the easy clichés and maintaining a constant tension instead of going for the cheap scares. It is always great to see a smart horror movie that really knows how to scare the hell… More
  Possibly one of the scariest movies I have seen in the past few years. It is very well directed, avoiding the easy clichés and maintaining a constant tension instead of going for the cheap scares. It is always great to see a smart horror movie that really knows how to scare the hell out of the viewers.

• Tired of P

  
  Directed by James Wan, Film District, 2011. Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye and Barbara Hershey. Genre: Horror, Thriller. Question: How many times do you watch a movie, expect it to be scary and then it does not live up to it's expectations?… More
  Directed by James Wan, Film District, 2011. Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye and Barbara Hershey. Genre: Horror, Thriller. Question: How many times do you watch a movie, expect it to be scary and then it does not live up to it's expectations? Well, for me - not that often because horror movies really scare me without really having to try all that hard. But I watched Insidious tonight and it started out good (scary) and then sort of waded into the ridiculous. My son decided one day he wanted to watch a scary movie and being the fantastic mother I am, I at first freaked out, because I am a big wimp when it comes to the horror genre, I complied. Then I asked him which movie he would like to see (secretly hoping it wasn't too scary). "Insidious. My friends keep talking about it and how much they liked it." My thoughts were not good ones only because my son's friends are 12 years-old who appear to handle the scare factor okay, unlike moi. Insidious started out really well, as scary movies go. There was little dialogue and not a ton of overly scary music playing which made the story more plausible. The family, who had just moved into their new home, portrayed a "real" family. A mother of three, who stays home and works on her music when she can, and a husband who at first appears caring and kind. The mother, played by Rose Byrne, did a good job showing what it is really like to be a mom - hair up, no make-up, kids needs come first and when any time is left over - time for herself. And more importantly, she is home all day long and multitasking: cooking, cleaning, unpacking, organizing, taking care of the children, etc...and then soon witness to odd happenings. The house starts to show signs of a haunting, simply and subtly at first. This is where 'this' mother started to get pretty scared (and pathetic). By this point my son is also scared but we struggled on-wards with the story. Noises in the house increase, items move on their own and a glimpse or two of a ghost pops up just to make my heart beat faster. Then one of the children in the house slips into a coma, and I am intrigued with where the film-makers are taking the story. Although soon after there is more dialogue and something shifts. I found the cadence or the rhythm of the acting falter, and even thought it was bad at a point or two. But I brushed that aside because what worked in the beginning came back: lack of talking, more bumps in the night and an increase of sudden glimpses of more ghosts. Then there is another shift as the story unfolds more. Slowly I started to recall a film that scared the bejesus out of me when I was 12 years-old: Poltergeist. By the middle of the story it was very hard to NOT compare this movie to the haunted house classic. There weren't any clowns, or fuzzy TV screens or scary looking children-eating trees, but when a woman and her crew show up at the house to discover and document the activity and why the son was in a coma, it was virtually impossible not to see a connection. This is where the movie lost me and I found the rest of the story insincere. I was no longer terrified but bored. It did have a twist at the end but even that didn't scare me. So, what did I learn here today? Well, it's hard to create a horror story that is really scary, and that perhaps I am not a big chicken after all. Go ahead and rent Insidious because I do think the first half was good just don't expect greatness in the second half. Although one scene actually made me scream out loud suddenly. The editor of this film was brilliant in their way of increasing the scare factor in this film. My favorite part: That's hard to say since this was a horror - but the editing was really well done. My least favorite part: That I was almost forced to make a comparison to another movie. Rating: PG-13 Length: 103 minutes Review: 4 out of 10 P.S. Alright I have to confess one thing. I said Insidious was not all that scary while watching. However, when I went to bed, after writing the majority of this review, I had a sudden memory of one of the scary elements.Then I realized I AM a chicken as I remembered the light switch was 12 feet away and I was too scared to get out of bed to turn it on.

• Dean !

  
  A decent paranoid, creepy, old school haunted house film....that then becomes an old school possession film. It starts well and is genuinely creepy and jumpy. The second half of the film changes direction somewhat and has an almost fairy tale feel to it. Not bad for a 12a rated horror… More
  A decent paranoid, creepy, old school haunted house film....that then becomes an old school possession film. It starts well and is genuinely creepy and jumpy. The second half of the film changes direction somewhat and has an almost fairy tale feel to it. Not bad for a 12a rated horror film.

• Unknown H

  
  The way this film had been publicised and talked about I was expecting to have many a sleepless night ahead of me, but unfortunatley I think I will sleep as sound as ever. A real old school horror movie, about not only possession but hauntings as well, it wasn't as predictable as… More
  The way this film had been publicised and talked about I was expecting to have many a sleepless night ahead of me, but unfortunatley I think I will sleep as sound as ever. A real old school horror movie, about not only possession but hauntings as well, it wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be and did have an original take on an old story, with a very interesting end. However the demon and ghosts were comical, almost theatrical, and the pacing of the film seemed off. Not a terrible movie, but definitely not one that you'll need the lights on to watch.

• Randy T

  
  Director James Wan takes a stab at old school, edge-of-your-seat horror with mixed results. His approach is sound but lapses in scripting and a few unintentionally funny moments detract from the otherwise eerie atmosphere and keep <i>Insidious</i> from living up to its… More
  Director James Wan takes a stab at old school, edge-of-your-seat horror with mixed results. His approach is sound but lapses in scripting and a few unintentionally funny moments detract from the otherwise eerie atmosphere and keep <i>Insidious</i> from living up to its potential.

• J P

  
  I'm not really sure if I like this film or not. The beginning parts with the scary visuals and such in the first haunted house was amazing. It was really scary and awesome. Then the visuals in the second house were great as well. There was a lot of suspense there. However once… More
  I'm not really sure if I like this film or not. The beginning parts with the scary visuals and such in the first haunted house was amazing. It was really scary and awesome. Then the visuals in the second house were great as well. There was a lot of suspense there. However once the psychic came in with her crew the movie kind of went downhill for me. It was so scary up until the point where the psychic had the man go into the "further". It was really, really funny...not like ha ha funny more like silly/stupid funny. It seemed like a joke. It was a great movie until they went into the other world. Then it stopped being scary and I started writing this movie off. I give it props for having an original story line, but come on. By the end it was just too ridiculous to be scary. The twist was nice though, even if the mother and grandmother are fucking deaf. Like seriously how could you NOT hear that?

• Nate Z

  
  It's like a fresh coat of paint on the old haunted house movie. Director James Wan and writer Leigh Wannell, the team that birthed the grisly Saw franchise, are working in a completely different realm of horror, tying together familiar genre elements (creaky doors, séances,… More
  It's like a fresh coat of paint on the old haunted house movie. Director James Wan and writer Leigh Wannell, the team that birthed the grisly Saw franchise, are working in a completely different realm of horror, tying together familiar genre elements (creaky doors, séances, possession, demons with a lipstick fetish?) into one seriously effective spine-tingler. This PG-13 frightfest is well paced and methodically constructed, giving you pause whenever a character ventures offscreen. It finds a way to make old fears scary again. Wan and Wannell find ways to get under your skin. The final act lacks the precision of the rest of the movie, settling on too many explanations and a jumble of action, but the movie works. There are plenty of memorable, deeply creepy images afoot, the score of shrieking violins is a great addition to the ambiance, and the characters seem, given the outlandish scenario, fairly realistic and relatable. Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson make a rather sweet married couple. Insidious is something of an old school horror film, using clever tricks and avoiding obvious clichés while building a genuine atmosphere of trepidation. The movie got me to yell at my TV, which is an achievement in itself for a horror flick. I lost my sense of place and reverted back to a participant, spooked at what may be lurking in the dark. Not too bad for PG-13. Nate's Grade: B+

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Barbara Hershey, Heather Tocquigny Director: James Wan Summary: Josh and Renai confront terrifying tribulations when their son falls into a coma and his body starts to… More
  Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Barbara Hershey, Heather Tocquigny Director: James Wan Summary: Josh and Renai confront terrifying tribulations when their son falls into a coma and his body starts to attract malevolent forces. But when the family moves, hoping to leave the evil spirits behind, they realize their problems are only beginning. My Thoughts: "A creepy, scary, skin crawling good time. The movie really creeped me out and made me jump numerous times. The acting is pretty great by all. Some of the creepers were more scarier than other's, but they did the job. The director did a great job at building up the scares instead of zooming them into your face with some fast unnecessary camera work. The film had great suspense. No blood or guts needed in this film, just a good old fashion scare with the unknown. Great job by all in the movie. Definitely worth putting on you list of films to see." Elise Rainier: It's not the house that's haunted, it's your son.

• Bently L

  
  Insidious was mentioned at The Scream Awards last night and since Halloween is just around the corner, I decided to review it. Insidious is about a family who moves into a new house. The parents happen to be Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, who both starred in the superhero movies,… More
  Insidious was mentioned at The Scream Awards last night and since Halloween is just around the corner, I decided to review it. Insidious is about a family who moves into a new house. The parents happen to be Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, who both starred in the superhero movies, Watchmen and X-Men: First Class. Everything is going nicely in their new abode until the baby starts crying too much, and their son, Dalton, suddenly dosen't wake up. After discovering that Dalton is in a coma, his parents soon hire some paranormal experts. That is when all the weird stuff begin happening. I actually reccomend Insidious if you haven't seen it yet. If I made my synopsis longer, I would be spoiling the fun for you. Haunted house movies aren't my thing let alone horror movies. Haunted house films kind of annoy me because the characters aren't the wisest. The ending of Poltergeist still stresses me! Insidious is a pretty smart horror film. The way they explain why the house is haunted is pretty original. I got a little stressed in the beginning, mainly because of the decisions the characters were making, but the rest of the film was fine. The performances were decent. Rose Byrne definetly looked terrified throughout the film. I may say that she is cut out for these type of horror films. However, I would not like to see her in some slasher or torture film. Patrick Wilson, who portrays Nite Owl II in Watchmen, is good as the father. The rest of the performances are good but nothing here is Oscar Worthy, folks! Are there any visuals? Yes. Insidious isn't a low budget film and neither is it big budget film. The visual style is pretty cool. It feels very surreal and there is one special effect that is very original. I can't give it away. Plus, the music is great and very scary. IT was overdone in some scenes. Lastly, is the movie scary? The first two minutes of the film and the last fifteen to twenty are the scariest. The rest is just very spooky. Insidious is an entertaining and frightning film. A good film for the Halloween season. Good performances and clever scares make Insidous worth watching. "Just because you're a superhero doesen't make you invincible."

• Lee ?

  
  Supernatural haunting/possession movie where a Demon attempts to possess the body of a young boy who has fallen into a coma after his soul took an outer-body stroll and got lost in the realm of the dead! Occassionally chilling but doesn't quite manage to be as scary as it tries… More
  Supernatural haunting/possession movie where a Demon attempts to possess the body of a young boy who has fallen into a coma after his soul took an outer-body stroll and got lost in the realm of the dead! Occassionally chilling but doesn't quite manage to be as scary as it tries to be. The film mostly relies on cheap scares with the aid of a loud noise or the use of loud music. Sure I jumped a few times but had I been deaf I wouldn't have been affected. Visually the scariest thing in the film was the red-faced Demon itself which really was a horrible looking being, but it wasn't used effectively enough to get more scares out of it. I thought it was a pretty good creepy attempt overall, but it doesn't quite stamp its mark on the genre, thought Paranormal Activity was better.

• Justin Y

  
  James Wan's <i>Insidious</i> breathes some life into the horror genre before getting heavy on the paranormal.<p>The introduction is a bit of a crawl, albeit an ominous crawl at that, but it ends up serving as a nice contrast for what comes later on. As far as… More
  James Wan's <i>Insidious</i> breathes some life into the horror genre before getting heavy on the paranormal.<p>The introduction is a bit of a crawl, albeit an ominous crawl at that, but it ends up serving as a nice contrast for what comes later on. As far as the plot goes, it handles itself quite well, with a creative spin on what could be an overly cliched story.</p><p>Jump scares are present; however, they are just a piece in the film's overall creepiness. The suspense level is consistent enough for a thriller, until the final act when the paranormal aspect tends to take over and things become freakishly weird.</p><p>Patrick Wilson is a bit monotone or maybe it just seems that way when compared to Rose Byrne. Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, and Leigh Whannell have diverting characters that contribute to the film's abnormal factor.</p><p><i>Insidious</i> is able to tell its tale without the use of abhorrent gore and violence, and thus ends up offering enough as a decent 100 minute picture.</p>

• William S

  
  The makers prove they know how to make a really scary film - things begin as a kind of homage to both 'The Haunting' and 'The Exorcist' as they expertly crank up the suspense so tight I thought I would crack my knuckles. I was more than a little impressed. Then… More
  The makers prove they know how to make a really scary film - things begin as a kind of homage to both 'The Haunting' and 'The Exorcist' as they expertly crank up the suspense so tight I thought I would crack my knuckles. I was more than a little impressed. Then they throw it all away in gleeful horror fanboy abandon. I should have known better than to trust in the makers of 'Saw' I suppose. It all starts to go wrong when the 'ghost hunters' turn up and the sillier aspects of 'Poltergeist' are evoked. But in a pastiche overload we get them all - we've already had 'The Haunting', 'The Omen', 'The Exorcist' and 'Poltergeist', now we have Sam Raimi in all his obviousness, John Landis, Argento and even 'Jeepers Creepers'?! By the end of this mess I half expected the marshmallow man from 'Ghostbusters' to appear! I didn't expect much really and so it was worth a look for the first 20 minutes or so of expertly wound tension. It's just a shame the elastic snapped so early. Still, If you thought 'Drag Me to Hell' was the scariest film you've ever seen then you might enjoy this a lot.

• Drew S

  
  This is a huge surprise! Yes, the third act is a definite departure from the rest of the film, but it's also a totally unconventional choice for a horror movie. Taking place in a completely different reality? Insidious makes some extremely bold choices, and for the most part I… More
  This is a huge surprise! Yes, the third act is a definite departure from the rest of the film, but it's also a totally unconventional choice for a horror movie. Taking place in a completely different reality? Insidious makes some extremely bold choices, and for the most part I think they pay off. Not everyone agrees, clearly, as the last half hour is commonly viewed as the flimsiest part of the film. I think it is the least scary, but simply assessed in terms of how bizarre it is, it's compelling. In fact, I didn't find Insidious particularly scary as a whole. It squeezes out a few scares, but its atmosphere emphasizes dread instead of out-and-out jolting fear. Most of its' considerable successes come from its economy; after his constant attachment to the Saw series, I had admittedly little faith in James Wan's abilities as a director. This put me to shame, however, as Insidious looks great, is written strongly, and features a pair of simple yet thoughtful lead performances. (And all on a budget of around a million dollars!) The lighting is of exceptional note here; even in the daytime, in rooms suffused with natural light, the house has a haunted, shadowy quality. I don't know that Insidious will be remembered as a hugely frightening horror film, necessarily, but as a deceptively thoughtful horror artifact in a rather barren landscape, I think it has considerable promise.

• Kevin C

  
  A horror classic for the new-age. The style, terror, and star power factors are at full gear in this balls-out, anything goes, god damned spectacular haunted house(s) feature.

• Alexis N

  
  Oh my God! I can't even right now.. it was so spooky and suspenseful. I loved it. It was Drag Me To Hell type awesomeness. What the movie lacks in serious(some of the ghouls were kinda cheesy), it more than makes up for in thrills. Watch with the lights on or with friends, it… More
  Oh my God! I can't even right now.. it was so spooky and suspenseful. I loved it. It was Drag Me To Hell type awesomeness. What the movie lacks in serious(some of the ghouls were kinda cheesy), it more than makes up for in thrills. Watch with the lights on or with friends, it doesn't matter, it's creepy.

• Tim S

  
  Now let me come correct here. I like haunted house-type movies when they're done well. In the best of cases (Alien, The Haunting), very little needs to be seen to evoke fear in the audience. In the worst of cases (insert your own modern horror film here), everything is shown up… More
  Now let me come correct here. I like haunted house-type movies when they're done well. In the best of cases (Alien, The Haunting), very little needs to be seen to evoke fear in the audience. In the worst of cases (insert your own modern horror film here), everything is shown up front without a sense of build or suspense... or you're simply teased with brief images and not concrete visuals. Insidious sort of falls somewhere in between. I was quite surprised that it wasn't what the poster was promising: yet another "child possessed" story. Thankfully that's not the case, but the case is a little cooky in its own right. Astral projection, out-of-body experiences, demons, etc. - it's all here. I think the film's biggest problem is its tone. At times it can't make up its mind if its a straight-ahead haunted house movie or a Lifetime movie of the week. There are some fun things to play with in this though: the "spirits," their designs and execution are effective, and they actually reminded me of the early Dark Castle remakes of House on Haunted Hill and Thirteen Ghosts. Unfortunately, there's too much sappy cornball music, too much stilted acting and, not surprisingly, far too much exposition. The film literally stops in the middle to explain everything, which brings the pace to a complete stop. To be fair, it isn't bad and will likely give people some scares, but it just feels too lackluster because we've seen everything here before - especially with the ending that you can see coming from a mile away. For those who've seen these kinds of movies over and over again (like myself), it loses a lot of its threat and power as it doesn't do anything original. If you can go into this one knowing that it's going to be just a fun haunted house movie that isn't out to change the genre or anything, then you'll have a good time.

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