Review of Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) by Thequietgamer — 10 Oct 2015

Without James Wan in the director's seat it's not hard to wonder if the third entry in the Insidious series would live up to it's predecessors. Thankfully first time director Leigh Whannell knocks it out of the park. This very well might be the best of the series.

Some well-crafted creepiness does a good job of setting up tension early on. There are a few effective jump scares to be found here that are setup by ominous pacing and uncomfortable atmosphere. Things do get noticeably less scary during the movies final act, almost as if it's burning out, but the film still goes strong thanks to the fantastic story and characters.

The cast here is incredible. Their characters are actually well fleshed out and feel like real people. It makes it easy to care about them and the conflict. A rarity in modern horror films. That's this movie's real strength. The family drama and watching returning heroine "Elise" (the fantastic Lin Shaye) overcome her fears and turn into a confident protector help add a little bit of heart to the horror. Returning characters "Specs and Tucker" help to bring in some of the humor the previous two films had. Although those elements are kept much lighter this time around. It keeps itself mostly straight-faced throughout.

It might not terrify you or keep you up at night, but it will certainly provide some creepy thrills and a story that will keep you watching. It's a very satisfying sequel/prequel with ideas that make it feel fresh amongst all of the other horror movies that clog up all of the senses lately. It's an excellent horror movie, and one that makes me excited for any future this series might have.

I give this movie a 9.2/10.