Insidious: Producing serious harm in a stealthy, often gradual manner.
The makers of “Paranormal Activity” and “Saw” have given the world yet another horror film, only this time they forget to insert the most important part — the horror.
“Insidious” uses the same scare tactics as “Paranormal Activity,” like loud bursts of eerie music, suspense and creatures that pop out from behind closets and under beds.
The film starts off with a typical family of five, Renai and Josh, their sons, Dalton and Foster, and a baby girl. Josh is a teacher, and Renai a musician, who settles the family into its new home.
Dalton, who is about 10 years old, decides to go exploring in the new house. As in all scary movies, the fear begins in — you guessed it — the attic. Dalton falls from a ladder, and the next morning is in a coma. However, the doctors claim he has no brain damage.
Dalton remains in a coma for the entirety of the film, which seems strange since he is the face of the movie. Renai begins to hear voices and see figures around the house, while Josh ignores her accusations.
What is it with characters in scary movies who constantly have frightening experiences but relentlessly ignore them and keep the details to themselves? Don’t they know that is not what people do?
The film escalates from an average horror film and pushes the boundaries of a science-fiction plot. When the family moves to a new house to escape its fear, it realizes the haunting has followed them.
A psychic named Elise is called in, along with her sidekicks — who add a much-needed touch of humor — to test the house and see if it is, in fact, haunted.
I won’t give the entire film away, but the movie takes a shocking left turn into the underworld once Elise enters the picture, and secrets are revealed you would never expect about certain innocent family members.
Despite the shameless plug of Jigsaw’s face on a chalkboard and the poorly written dialogue, the film was frustratingly frightful, as all scary movies should be. The red-eyed demons were admittedly cheesy, but when it’s hiding in the dark abyss, no matter how silly it looks, you helplessly squirm in your seat.
