Insidious

James Wan's Insidious is quite possibly genius. When Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) move their family into a new house, it is not long before Renai and her eldest son Dalton begin to experience strange goings-on. After a bump to the head when exploring a mysterious noise, Dalton slips into a 'coma'; except medically speaking, it is not a coma, and no doctor can explain what it is. After three months, Dalton is moved home under Renai's care and the hauntings become so frightful that she insists they move to a different house. However, it soon emerges that it was not the house that was haunted - it was Dalton. Only Josh, with the help of unintentionally hilarious 'ghost busters' (adding a touch of light relief to the chilling tale), can save his son, by entering 'The Further' in order to bring him back, but before he can do this, he must face his own past and his own ghosts.


Rose Byrne is fantastic as stay-at-home mum Renai

The first five minutes of Insidious is enough to send chills down your spine. It is pure 'classic horror', and although the opening titles seem to drag on a bit, it gives the desired effect. Rose Byrne is perfect as the stay-at-home-mother pursuing a musical career, whilst Patrick Wilson charms audiences with his 'not-so-perfect husband' attitude. His disbelief of his wife spurs the movie into further chaos when the reason behind their son's condition is revealed, and Wilson portrays the character with conviction.


Patrick Wilson charms audiences as non-believer Josh

That being said, things take a slightly crazy turn towards the end, beginning with a séance attempting to contact Dalton and other spirits. Although it was still quite scary, you cannot help but find it hilarious at the same time (keep an eye open for the special apparatus required to contact the spirits). Josh's visit into 'The Further' is intriguing, and ties together any loose ends that had been unravelled throughout the film. Wan does a great job of creating suspense, horrific images and eerie music ('Tiptoe Through the Tulips' will forever haunt any viewers) and bringing them together to create a horror worthy of appraisal, and one that should be remembered alongside classics such as Psycho, The Amityville Horror, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

See if you liked: Paranormal Activity, The Amityville Horror
Rating: 4.5/5