Nolan's Nasties: Insidious: Chapter 3 Review

Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

IMDB genre: Horror

Director: Leigh Whannell

Writer: Leigh Whannell

Starring: Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney

When I watched the first Insidious film I wasn’t hugely impressed. I thought the scares were effective and the characters were well-rounded but overall I felt like something was missing. I was still intrigued enough when the second film came out to watch a double-bill at the cinema & I’m pleased to say it blew me away! The second was far more polished and made me appreciate the first one more too so I was excited when the third instalment was confirmed.

I was a little surprised that this was to be a prequel instead of a sequel but having watched it I assume that this decision was made so Lin Shay’s Elise Rainier could have a starring role. Although the big scares of the film are played out with Stefanie Scott’s Quinn, the main character is really Elise. It’s her story that we’re being told and it’s no coincidence that Quinn’s haunting is connected. Elise’s character development is both written and acted perfectly. It leads to scenes that are unexpectedly sad and culminates in an encounter with a certain familiar figure that gets a huge laugh from the audience and draws you in so you feel accomplished with her. It stands as a great credit to Whannell that scenes that are so different can appear in the same film without conflict; many directors can pull off horror comedy but it takes it to another level to include realistic grief too.

So we’ve established that this film can do character development and genuine emotion but what about the all-important scares? Well, they are definitely there; this film is very scary! Having said that, I think the scares are different this time round. With the first one particularly it was more of a slow burn and gradual build-up of dread before the real threat was revealed. There’s less of that here as once the spirit is revealed it’s malevolence is obvious and terrifying. I think the fear in this one comes from the physically vulnerable Quinn going up against something that’s pure evil; the Insidious films have made a point to feature protagonists who made smart decisions but even if this girl wants to she can barely move. Whannell makes sure that this fact is never far from your mind with his outstanding writing and direction to make sure you’re on the edge of your seat throughout. There’s something for everyone in terms of scares here (plenty of jumps, a very effective bit of body horror to make your skin crawl etc) and I think it was a great move for this film to not include all of its big scares in the trailers so there’s still plenty that you’re not expecting.

OK, I’m worried that I’ve raved a little too much about this film and made it seem perfect. It’s great but it’s not perfect. There are a couple of annoyances that you’ll be able to mostly overlook (watch out for the Skype scene & also ponder what would happen in an emergency with a wheelchair on the fourth floor) but there’s a larger problem which spoils the movie a bit. I don’t want to give too much away but the ending is just not right. It’s a complete shift and it undermines the feel of the film. I know the ending of a film can be hard to master but being honest I’d prefer an ambiguous ending to one like this.

So, definitely check this film out! Whannell has already proved that he can write but through this he proves he can direct too. If you’re a fan of the series I think you’ll enjoy this instalment as well but it’s good as a stand-alone horror too.

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