RELEASING: Filmdistrict

CREW: Director – James Wan; Screenplay – Leigh Whannell; Producers - Jason Blum, Steven Schneider, & Oren Peli; Cinematography - John R. Leonetti ASC & David M. Brewer; Score – Joseph Bishara; Editors – James Wan & Kirk Morri; Production Design – Aaron Sims; Costume Design – Kristen M. Burke; Special Make-up Effects - Fractured FX, Inc.; Visual Effects Supervisors - Darren Orr & Michael Janov; Sound Designer - Robert Cross;

CAST: Josh Lambert… PATRICK WILSON; Renai Lambert… ROSE BYRNE; Dalton Lambert… TY SIMPKINS; Elise Rainier… LIN SHAYE; Specs… LEIGH WHANNELL; Tucker… ANGUS SAMPSON; Lorraine Lambert… BARBARA HERSHEY.

SYNOPSIS: Renais (BYRNE) and her husband Josh (WILSON) are still setteling in and unpacking boxes in their family’s new home when she first senses a sinister presence. Eerie events escalate into supernatural attacks. Finally, their oldest son, Dalton (SIMPKINS) slips into a mysterious coma. Renais and Josh abandon their ghost-ridden home, but to no avail as she begins to experience phenomena in their new residence. In a desperate attempt to heal their broken family, they take an unorthodox approach and turn to an expert in supernatural occurrences (SHAYE), recommended by Josh’s mother, Lorraine (HERSHEY). Upon investigation they soon discover: It's not the house that's haunted.

REVIEW: INSIDIOUS is a methodically constructed film, from beginning to end, in order to achieve maximum scares. It’s refreshing to see James Wan and Leigh Whannell reunited and proves they still have the horror chops they flexed and freaked audiences out with in the 2004 film “Saw.”

INSIDIOUS establishes the scare factor right at the beginning in the opening credit design and use of score. As the credits roll thru various rooms and hallways you are on edge as unexpectedly creepy images show up, punctuated by a completely eerie score.
In essence, you could say the plot of INSIDIOUS is the Reader’s Digest condensed version of “Poltergeist” one and two. The plot has been whittled down to essential characters and to achieve maximum scares. The scares are simple in-camera tricks, the makeups basic, and on occasion the work is enhanced with digital technology. The overall effect is this gritty texture that feels like you’re on a ride thru a haunted Halloween attraction. You know the scares are coming but they are well crafted and given prime placement throughout the story. It had a seasoned horror hound like me on edge and jumping.

INSIDIOUS has a great cast, especially Patrick Wilson of “Hard Candy” and “Watchmen.” He is an amazing actor whose performance draws you in and allows you to take this deliciously scary ride. Joining him fresh from her performance in “Black Swan” is veteran actress Barbara Hershey, who was probably cast due to her performance in the 1982 horror film “The Entity” that INSIDIOUS shares similar themes with. The rest of this ensemble does an exceptional job and sells the shocks.

The film is flawed in two regards. In the third act paranormal investigators Specs and Tucker show up. The characters are an obvious attempt at comic relief. While they pay homage to contemporary ghost hunters and the characters in “Poltergeist,” what should be as witty as Shakespeare’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern is over the top comedy and distracting from the tension in the final act. The other is a bit of background character information revealed just before the final act. It’s is too obvious and telegraphs the film’s final big reveal.

Still, INSIDIOUS is an in your face keenly executed scarefest that skillfully delivers intense thrills and chills. The key to those frights is a brilliant score, effectively employed as any Hitchcock score, and meticulous sound design. Halloween may still be far off but INSIDIOUS does an exceptional job of getting your fright on.

INSIDIOUS official website – www.insidious-movie.com

**Based on the regular $13.00 ticket prices at a Manhattan Theater.