Let me preface this review by acknowledging up front: I am a film fanatic. Not just all film, though. The horror genre, in particular. That isn’t to say that I found Ouija all that scary or The Apparition any good. Those so-called horror films where someone backs around a dark room for 98 seconds and eventually jump-scares the audience by bumping into a coat rack are dead to me.
I’m a fan of the real horror films: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman, Stephen King’s It, etc. To this day, when I watch Candyman I avoid mirrors for hours after. It’s the psychological horror that spooks me… and Insidious Chapter 3 did just that.
The film starts off with our new heroine, Quinn (Stefanie Scott) and her family moving into their new home after the passing of a family member. Her father, Sean, played by the ever-sexy Dermot Mulroney, is now forced to raise his children and work full-time all while dealing with his daughter’s hauntings. In an effort to contact the dead family member, Quinn seeks out the help of Elsie Rainer, played by the always cooky and devilishly frightening Lin Shaye.
Like the first two Insidious films, there is a specific demon trying to take over the soul and body of our lead character, in this case Quinn. Along with the help of her family and newly acquainted friends, she must stop the demon before she is gone to the ‘The Further’ forever. One thing that is loved about these movies is that the stereotype of good vs evil doesn’t always have a predictable outcome. Thus, until the end, you never really know who is going to win.
There are predictable moments. But here is the beauty of director Leigh Wannell and his scares: even though I KNOW they are coming, they still scare the SHIT out of me. Back in the first Insidious film there was a scene that shocked my friend so much that he literally jumped, throwing his popcorn on me. Was it actually a way for him to hit on me? … No. No, it wasn’t. It was a legit scare. This time I didn’t throw my popcorn, but I did throw my hands in the air. I guess if I was holding popcorn, it would have been thrown.
Fans of the series are treated to the return of Lin Shaye, among other characters and stories that are slightly tied in. I can’t mention much more without giving it away, but I will tell you that Insidious Chapter 3 is well worth the viewing. If you haven’t seen the first two Insidiouses, there is no need to worry. This is a prequel, after all. My friend who joined me for this screening had not seen the first two and still loved it. He also jumped more than me. So you can watch this first, but only if you want to see the scariest installment before viewing the other two. If you’re a fan of the horror genre, then this is a movie for you. It’s 3 times the fun, 3 times the intensity and 3 times the scares.