The creators of ‘SAW’ have turned their hands to making an old fashioned horror film, although naturally it comes with a twist.It is a master class in how to make a traditional haunted house movie into a new and terrifying watch.
They know how to create mounting tension and suspense culminating in genuinely scary moments. These are amplified here by the use of a soundtrack of screeching violins a la ‘Psycho’, which end in sudden silence heightening your fearful expectations. It also makes a nice change in a haunted house film to see the family move out at the first sign of paranormal activity rather than remain there till the bitter deadly end.
‘Insidious’ cheekily pays homage to the ‘SAW’ franchise, and seems to be channelling ‘Poltergeist’ with the introduction of the medium and her geeky ghost-busting team. It is at this point that it turns bizarrely from a haunted house movie into ‘The Exorcist’.
Wilson and Byrne make a convincing and likeable husband and wife. You end up caring about them and their family and what happens to them. They are joined by a solid supporting cast which includes Barbara Hershey as Byrne’s overly possessive and controlling mother-in-law. Watch out for Whannell who plays one of the medium’s bickering assistants.
