"Scary and heart-warming."
Unlike the first two films, Insidious: Chapter 3 is an entirely new story. Instead of dealing deeper
with the haunting of the Lambert family, the movie shifts focus to psychic
Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), a minor character in the previous films. It serves
as a prequel, back when Elise has hesitations in using her gift. This is quite
a bold move for director Leigh Whannell who also stars in the film. But has
this strategy paid off? Will it provoke more films in the franchise? Or has it
just ended a very promising horror movie series?
The film opens with high school senior Quinn Brenner
visiting the home of Elise. Distraught about the death of her mother from
cancer one year and a half earlier, Quinn wants Elise to help her contact her
in the afterlife. She has been having premonitions about her and Quinn wants
some answers. Elise initially refuses but upon seeing the girl’s misery, she
gives one try. With her clairvoyance, Elise finds out that the spirit that
haunts her is not her mother’s but something predatory. Without telling Quinn about
her discovery, Elise sends her away with a warning never to contact her again.
Soon, fear and chaos besets on the Brenner’s home. The evil
spirit becomes viler and causes a fatal accident to fall on Quinn, resulting to
both of her legs broken. In mold casts, Quinn becomes immobile and helpless
against the torments of the ghoul. While her younger brother Alex (Tate Berney)
finds ghostbuster duo Specs (Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), her
estranged father Sean (Dermot Mulroney) reaches out to Elise for her help. Together,
they will conquer the wicked force that preys on one’s weakness and
incapability.
Insidious: Chapter 3 is
a fascinating and refreshing instalment of the series as it puts a supporting
character on the spotlight. We have known Elise as the strong and fearless
psychic in the first two films, but here, we see her in a wide range of human
emotions – grief, vulnerability, courage and resilience. We see her moments of
doubt and frailty but it is even better to watch her channel her inner strength
in battling evil entities and helping those caught in the rages of these forces. Shaye shines even better as she effectively provides the nuances
demanded by the character.
The film also has soothing character transformations. During
the possession, Sean is finally able to accept his loss and take hold of what’s
left of him and Mulroney has given justice to the role. It is quite late though
and Elise rises to be the heroine who saves Quinn and reunites her family. In the
process, Elise also reconnects with her deceased husband and consequently deals with her
own heartache. For some comic relief, it is amusing to know how Elise and her
team were founded.
The movie is undeniably terrifying. Whannel ingeniously uses
silences, camera angles and movements, solid images and precise timing to bring
that ultimate jump scare. These are common elements of any horror flick but to
employ and combine them in such accurate and perfect ways requires strict
discipline and massive creativity that Whannel unarguably possesses. Some of
the scary imageries in the film are the mushy black footprints, shadows on the curtain
and Quinn being wheeled by the devil.
Insidious: Chapter 3 is
not as scary as the first two films in the franchise. However, it has tighter
plot and more emotional undercurrents which make it more substantive and
moving. By focusing on Elise and her backstory, the movie is not repetitive,
leading the series into full circle as well as providing venues for
possible more stories in the future.
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