Friday night I saw Insidious with a friend. It was a creepy, effective movie, that was highly reminiscent of Poltergeist--in a good way! I'd recommend it for everyone who enjoys classic haunted house films; although, as the trailer says "It's not the house that's haunted. It's your son."
Spoilers start here! Fairly warned be ye, says I.
The movie's first 30 minutes are the typical slow setup that any horror film uses: The happy family unit, troubled in the past, is looking for a brighter tomorrow in their new house. 2.5 kids, Dad is the sole breadwinner as Mom is trying to write music. It's a happy, boring family.
The usual 'something isn't right here' feelings set in as Dalton (AKA coma kid) explores the attic. Stuff starts moving around and disappearing. All par for the course. This changes when Dalton is very suddenly in a 'coma', and the timeline jumps ahead 3 months. He's at home in a hospital bed, when things start rearing up again: Weird noises on the baby monitor, the parents are fighting, etc.
One of the most effective scares come when the mother checks on the baby, and sees a man behind the window curtain--AFTER about 30 seconds in the room. She notices him just when the audience does, although he's there THE WHOLE TIME.
After that, it really starts flying. The mother is attacked in her room, doors are flung open, and it's getting scarier. Then, the family does something I've never seen before: THEY LEAVE THE HAUNTED HOUSE. We're only about 1/2 way though, and they have the common sense to pack up and go!
Not that that helps. But at least, they're trying.
They move into a new home, and crazy crap is still happening, now with full-on child ghosts, and visions. The dad's mother reports a dream she had where a creepy entity stood over coma kid, wanting him. She gives them the name of an expert she happens to know (BTW, obvious plot point is obvious by now. The Dad's past has something to do with this lady).
Two geek-squad dropouts come in to provide help, and comic relief: one of them is actually the writer of the picture. The see more crazy stuff, and call in the Tangena Baron of the picture. She revels that coma kid isn't in a coma, and the house isn't haunted. It's actually infested with demonic forces and ghosts who want
coma kid's body because his soul is astral projecting somewhere called 'The Furthur', aka limbo. Several drawings in coma kid's room convince the skeptical Dad she's telling the truth, and he consents to let her try a seance.
After donning a WW2 gas mask, Tangena goes into full on seance, with the geek squad in tow. Coma kid tells Tangena that he's trapped, and if they keep talking 'He'll hear them.' The kid gets full on possessed for about five minutes, then goes back into a coma.
Finally, the main murky plot point is revealed: Coma Kid's dad was a gifted astral traveler that was almost possessed by a creepy old lady ghost. His mom knew because she tlook photos of him where the ghost got progressively clearer and closer to him. Tangena and the mom conspired to make him forget his talent, thus keeping him safe. Now, it's all up to him to save his son!
The dad travels into The Further, seeing very chilling specters, and winding up following coma kid's drawings to his location: He's being held in a dungeon by a demon listening to Tiny Tim's 'Tiptoe thru the tulips.' As dumb as it sounds, it's utterly effective and chilling, given that we've heard this song earlier when the new house started being haunted.
The dad rescues Coma kid, who seems none the worse for the wear, but the demon sees them, and they're chased back to the house by EVERY FRIGGAN SPECTER in the flick so far. Once they get back to the house, Coma kid is sent on ahead to his body, while the dad confronts the old lady ghost, yelling "I'm not afraid of you anymore!" She fades away, both men wake up, and the house is clean.
OR IS IT?
Tangena takes a photo of the dad, who loses his shit, and strangles her. The mom, kid, and mother-in-law in the next room hear nothing. The wife eventually senses something amiss, and calls out for the husband. Creepy shit begins once again as she gets to the living room, picks up the camera, and sees the old lady. The dad-old-lady grabs her and says "I'm right here." Cut to the title and loud, clashing music. After the credits, we see the old lady blow out the candle she's been holding through out. Symbolism!
For having a slightly silly explanation, the movie pays off beautifully with a scary finale. I give it a sold 8.
