Insidious: Chapter 3

Insidious: Chapter 3

Starring Lin Shaye, Stefanie Scott, Dermot Mulroney, Leigh Whannell

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Synopsis:
A little over a year after losing her mother to cancer, high school senior Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) wants to communicate with her, so she visits renowned psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), but she refuses to help Quinn at first, until she relents.  As she tries to contact Quinn's mother, Elise contacts another evil spirit, and abruptly stops the seance, and warns Quinn to not communicate with spirits.

Quinn doesn't listen, and an evil entity has attached itself to her, and only Elise can stop it - but she has to conquer her own demons and fears before she can help Quinn, and do it before Quinn is lost forever.

Review:
The "Insidious" films are some of the better studio-made horror films to come out in recent memory.  The first one was revolutionary, while the second added to the mythos of the story.  It seemed that, after the end of the second film, there wasn't much farther the film could go, so director Leigh Whannell (a good friend of James Wan, and writer of the other "Insidious" films) took the reigns and revered to a prequel story centering on how Elise got to where she was in the first two films.

Lin Shaye is a completely underestimated actress.  She brilliantly portrays Elise in this film especially, first as a depressed, lonely, terrified woman, and as the film progresses, she gets her mojo back and comes out the other end as a confident, powerful, self-aware heroine.  She might not be as young as some other modern horror heroes, but that doesn't deter her fighting spirit, and she shines perfectly in this film.

First time horror star (and previous Disney actress) Stefanie Scott also gives a commanding performance as Quinn, a young girl torn apart by the unexpected loss of her mother, and dealing with a father (aptly played by Dermot Mulroney) who is in over his head and relies on Quinn to become pretty much a second mother to her younger brother.  She suffers a terrible accident and both her legs are broken, which leaves her confined to a wheelchair and her bed, which adds a new dimension to her suffering, as she can't literally run from the demon coming after her.  She pretty much is at the demon's beckon call, and can do little to stop the torment she receives from it.

The scares in this film are fast and furious, from the atmospheric moods, the eerie music and the downright terrifying demons that haunt the main characters.  In reference to "jump scares," there are a lot in this film, but they're not done in a cheap manner.  The scenes are terrifying without them, but the ear-shattering crescendo of the music just adds to the terror, instead of being the main cause of it.

Leigh Whannell did a lot in this film - directing, writing, and even starring in it - and he needs to be commended.  The story itself is very tight, controlled, and coherent.  You're riveted to what's going on and become unnerved and rattled by it.  There's one particular scene that had me almost jumping out of my chair not because it was the most frightening scene, but a very unexpected one that I didn't see coming.  For someone who's seen countless movies, for a director to successfully surprise me deserves respect.

Summary:
With this third installment, this film brings an excellent addition to the "Insidious" franchise, the second best in the series, and gifts the audience with more of Lin Shay's brilliant acting.

My Rating: A-