INSIDIOUS 3

Only the most successful horror movies like Omen and Exorcist have spawned sequels which went on to become franchises. Horror films are not generally considered franchise material, but Insidious has quietly crept up and become a noted franchise on its own; not hugely successfully, but having a unique marquee value. The challenge with a horror movie is to scare the audience in spite of the fact that they know that they are going to be spooked. That is, the director has to stay one step ahead of the audience. But, in a franchise like Insidious, the challenge becomes even bigger because the fundamental layout of the plot remains more or less the same. Therefore, Insidious 3 becomes a movie that relies more on the scenes and the moments that are created in these scenes rather than the storyline itself.

Much of the plot will not be revealed in this review because of two things. One, it could possibly

serve as a spoiler to a newcomer to the Insidious franchise, and second and more importantly because the plot seems to be of secondary importance to the way the scenes are set up in the movie. The entire movie is built around the few startling instances of haunting and the journeys that the protagonist makes to the other plane called ‘The Further’. To be fair to the director, he has managed to create enough adrenaline through these few scenes to make us sit through the movie without becoming indifferent.

Most of the good scares come in the first hour where we are not sure who are what exactly is responsible for the eerie happenings. But, the recent spate of horror films and paranormal terminology that they bring has ensured that we do not take too long to guess what or who is doing the damage. Having said that, the first hour has its jolts that keep us on the edge. Come the second hour and the fight begins between the entity and the protagonist. This is where Insidious 3 kind of strays away from its path. It is about retrieving the partially lost soul of a young girl, but it is also about a small personal fight that the protagonist has to endure. That would have been an interesting combination had we known the reasons behind all this. But, sadly, there seems to be none. The only explanation given is that once you go ‘Further’ and come back, there is a good chance that something might follow you. That’s a vague explanation and greatly dilutes the impact of the story. It is about one greedy entity.

Also, overuse of darkness kills the impact and one feels the second half has bit of overkill of scenes

in the ‘Further’, so much that we get kind of familiar with it, our hearts are no longer pumping as hard. And then, instead of delivering surprises out of corners, we are shown a bit of action. Yeah, you don’t need crosses and holy water and The Bible when the ‘entity’ can be shoved out of your way. However, the interesting imagery of the ‘Further’, the use of blue shades of light; these things keep us engaged on screen. And, the fag end has a bit of an emotional hook attached to it which you might like.

The movie really belongs to two people, Lin Shaye and the director Leigh Wannell. Lin as Elise brings the air of mystic and vulnerability that the script demands; apt casting. That apart, the cinematography department has done a good job, especially when spooky scenes have to be shot during the day.

Insidious 3 might not live up to the previous Insidious movies. It lives in its moments and scenes, but falls short in the overall outcome. But, a few good scares in the first hour and some interesting imagery in the second hour make it an interesting one time watch. And, one thinks that plans for a sequel are afoot!

A limited dose of spooks

2.5/5