Insidious, directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell is like a modern day Poltergeist, but not good. It starts with a promising build up of tension, which is blown to smithereens once we see that our main antagonist demon ghost looks just like Darth Maul. There is an interesting final scene that takes place in a different ghost dimension or some sh*t, but the character design takes away any kind of fear built up through the editing and acting. It looks like a Hot Topic employee wrote and directed this film. It is as if a mall goth watched Poltergeist, Stir of Echoes, the original Amityville Horror, and a bunch of other influential horror films with ghosts, and then decided to steal a little bit from each one and make their own cruddy flick about a haunting.
Does I even need to bring up how much this film seems like a non found footage version of Paranormal Activity, minus the child? Oh wait, Paranormal Activity 2 had a kid in it, that’s right. Insidious is Paranormal Activity 2, but without the found footage aspect.
The score is loud and overbearing. It doesn’t so much assist the images you see in the film, as it does overpower them, and drill into your brain.
The acting is decent, considering what the actors had to work with, but it in no way saves the film from being what it is; a cruddy knock off of way better films about ghosts.
You want a good ghost story? There is a long list of films you should see before Insidious. However, if you want a film with a Darth Maul demon putting a kid into a coma, and an old lady holding a candle terrorizing the guy from Watchmen, I guess go see Insidious.