Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures – 103 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix

Like most I am a huge fan of horror movies, but it is the hardest genre to please me because The Exorcist is still in my opinion the best horror/supernatural film ever made, and everything else is far down on the list. So when I see any film being compared to the mighty Exorcist I will proceed with caution, because that’s an impossible mission to accomplish. The latest horror movie trying to take out the king is Insidious made by the creators of the Saw series, and now available on Blu-ray from Sony.

THE MOVIE

New homeowners Renai and Josh Lambert (Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson) and their three children are settling into their happy place, but within days some creepy stuff begins to happen. Someone is seen looking in the window; a stranger is walking back and forth across the balcony; and noises are always heard within the home. Things really come to a standstill when their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) strikes his head insider the home, and at first he’s fine, but soon after ends up in a coma. But not just a state of unconsciousness, Dalton is being used as a vessel for an evil entity to pass on into our world.

Josh’s mother (played by Barbara Hershey) suggest that she they enlist some help from real life ghost busters who put there paranormal skills to the ultimate test as they try to save the boy. The matters become complicated when they learn that it’s not just one entity they have to deal with, but a pyramid of minion ghost must be fought first before they can tackle the main red faced demon who will do whatever it takes to keep the child in his possession.

Filmmaking collaborators James Wan and Leigh Whannell are no strangers to the horror genre because they have reaped the fortunes from one of the most profitable horror series to date with the Saw franchise. Insidious is a combination of various horror films that include The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror and Poltergeist. These guys are dedicated and do what they can to make Insidious stand on its own, but while there are moments that work, overall there are still things missing that would have placed the film in a class of its own.

Patrick Wilson is a solid actor and was one of the best things about Watchmen, but here he is badly cast. He’s a better actor than the material allows him to be and doesn’t fit with what is going on around him. However Lin Shayne, who plays the lead paranormal investigator is the standout performer in this film, bringing a sense of credibility to what could have turned out to be a silly character. Barbara Hershey, who was the star of one of the better 80’s horror films, The Entity, has obviously been cast because her film dealt with the subject of paranormal possession (but did it much better).

Wan and Whannell know how to make profitable films, mainly because they keep the budgets so low. Insidious cost $1.5 million to make and grossed about $88 million worldwide and will make more on DVD and Blu-ray. How many filmmakers can say their films grossed more than ten times the production cost? Obviously these guys are the current kings of the genre and will be dishing out more tales to scare the cash out of you. Insidious is not a bad movie; it’s just not very memorable once the credits begin to roll.

VIDEO

This is a great looking Blu-ray with a full 1080p image packaged into a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Plenty happens of scenes occur in the dark, and this transfer makes excellent use of lights and shadows, while handling grain in a proper manner. Skin tones are well balanced displaying excellent detail and colors have been subtly muted to make the dark the central character. Sony did a fine job with this transfer.

AUDIO

Offering a DTS-HD 5.1 audio sound mix, Insidious will have your skin crawling as you sit in the dark watching. The sound effects play a major role in the story, and the things you can’t see but can only hear will creep you out. Dialogue is nicely balanced and clear, even when things get out of control and words become screams. If you have a home theater system the sound design will be appreciated more because the rear speakers will have you whipping your head around constantly.

EXTRAS

Insidious is unfortunately very light in the bonus features department and doesn’t even offer a director’s commentary track. It would have been a plus to hear Wan and Whannell discuss the film.

On Set with Insidious is an 8 minute on the set look at the film with cast and crew interviews.

Horror 101 is the only worthy feature because it allows filmmakers Wan and Whannell to go into the creation of the film and how the paranormal element was weaved into it. But at barely 10 minutes, it’s way to short to become immersed.

Insidious Entities is a quick glimpse at the scary beings from the other side who are a central element of the film.

BOTTOM LINE

Insidious gets points for trying, but there are still pieces of the puzzle that if inserted would have made this a better movie. The Blu-ray delivers excellent image and sound but the bonus features are anemic. Unless you saw this film in theaters and loved it, it is recommended that you give it a rent before deciding if it should be included in your Blu-ray horror collection.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 3.0