Insidious 2 Review

As a sequel to James Wan’s 2010 film Insidious, Insidious 2 continues the story, as it runs both parallel and sequel to the first film.

Set in the immediate aftermath of the first film, we revisit the Lambert family as they continue to struggle with the evil presence that haunts the family. The primary cast all returns for a second outing, including Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) as Josh Lambert and Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids, X Men : First Class) as his wife Renai, move with their family into the home of his mother, Lorraine Lambert. Soon enough, shockingly, strange events begin to occur. The narrative ties deeply into the first film, so I recommend seeing that before spending the $11.

A lot of the scares in the film come from the slow buildup; things build up gradually. In the first part, despite evidence which I’ll leave you to view on your own, Renai is unsure what is happening. As the strange supernatural events increase, so does the suspense. The film escapes from its horror trappings by having a twist background. This leads to one of the movie’s failings.

While Renai and her husband are at odds with the presence in their home, the secondary characters go on a mystery-solving jaunt to uncover the secrets behind the spirits affecting the family. You know the “A Team”? Yeah? Well, this is like the Z team. Led by Josh’s mother Lorraine, the group goes to the source of the haunting. As they hunt for answers, the movie feels very disjointed. I found myself laughing, as were other audience members, though  I’m pretty sure that is not the intent. It’s not even comic relief, it’s drama that you just can’t take it seriously, which is a major failure, since it leads to a huge plot point towards the film’s climax. For half an hour, the film dissolves into a bunch of adults running around screaming in the dark.

However, some of the film’s best set pieces show up at this point. One scene, set in an abandoned hospital, is done masterfully. Shot though the first-person perspective from a camcorder one of the characters is using, it just has a sort of eerie feel to it. The music tricks the audience into false scares, and just keeps building and building until it leads to what can be seen as the scariest moment in the film. Compared to Wan’s film earlier in the year, The Conjuring, the scare factor in the movie is low, mostly relying on imagery and jump scares. It’s scary enough for someone looking for horror, but won’t leave you with nightmares or anything.

Basically, Insidious 2 is a love it or hate it type of film. If you’re someone who liked the first film, go and see it. If you’re looking for a more straightforward or scarier movie, go and see The Conjuring also starring Patrick Wilson. As a sequel, it does its job, setting up the inevitable third film in the series.