Review of Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) by Mark M — 12 Jun 2015

A prequel to Insidious (2010) and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), Insidious: Chapter 3 is the origin story of Elise Rainier and The Further, exploring the existential problems faced by Elise as her somewhat quiet, isolated solace is interrupted by Quinn's appearance, and the events that follow in the young girl's wake as she is haunted by a demon with breathing issues, referred to as The Demon Who Can't Breathe (Michael Reid Mackay). The film goes on to tie back into the events of the previous two films, expanding on them, with some to its detriment as Whannell obsessively tries to connect one dot to the other.

Chapter 3 follows in the footsteps and formula of its predecessors fairly close, from The Further's supernatural ecosystem of varying, inventive demons and specters, brought to life with writer-director Leigh Whannell's creativity and captured through the haunting, yet beautiful cinematography, to the nigh constant barrage of scares. It's a given for a horror franchise to constantly fall back on jump scares, but what separates Chapter 3 from the likes of The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death and The Lazarus Effect is how Whannell constructs each scare with purpose, direction and utility, rather than false scares of doors slamming every other time and humans popping into frame when least expected. Nothing feels tacked on for the sole purpose of jolting the audience in their seats.

Whannell's directorial debut, after a long history of partnership with the more famous, acclaimed James Wan as the screenwriter to the latter's directorial accomplishments, is a solid effort and shows Whannell knows the genre, in how to utilize scares and to build dread beyond simply penning screenplays like he has in the past. The directorial finesse extends to his actors and actresses, as Whannell directs and frames them playing their hearts out, with the veteran Lin Shaye's performance being the best of the lot as the film is very much a story of her character as it is of Quinn.

Undoubtedly, Chapter 3 remains a run-of-the-mill horror entry, but it certainly comes in higher than the other large studio horror movies that have come out this year due the Whannell's heart being in the right place, yet the question that remains is whether the Insidious franchise, despite ending on a high enough note, will be milked further by the same studio behind the Paranormal Activity franchise.