Insidious: Chapter 3

The difference between the just-released Insidious: Chapter 3 and the failed remake of Poltergeist we got just two weeks ago is that we actually care about the characters at the center of the scares in this one.  This movie is not just interested in scaring us or putting frightening images up on the screen, although it is effective at both.  It also wants us to be emotionally attached to the people within.  This is a highly energetic thriller, because it has more on its mind than you might expect.

The movie makes a lot of smart choices, chief amongst them is putting veteran character actor Lin Shaye (who was memorable in a supporting role in the first two Insidious movies) front and center of this one.  Her returning character, a psychic by the name of Elise Rainier, is surprisingly complex for a heroine in a haunted house movie.  She can be sad and sympathetic one moment, while also being strong and determined.  She is funny, sweet-natured and someone the audience can truly get behind.  That's why it's so brilliant that series writer Leigh Whannell (making his directorial debut here, taking over for James Wan from the first two) puts her front and center.  Not only do we get more of her great character and performance, but Whannell also takes the opportunity to truly open up her character.  We learn about her past, learn how she got into the business of battling the paranormal on a regular basis, and also how she met and eventually teamed up with the two comic relief ghost hunters who have accompanied her throughout the series, Specs (Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson).

That's because this movie is actually a prequel to the earlier films.  At the beginning of the story, Elise is not the confident psychic and ghost hunter we have come to know.  She is a reclusive shut in, mourning over the death of her husband who took his own life the year before, and refusing to use her gift to contact the spirit world.  We eventually learn that there is a very good reason for this.  One day, a teenage girl named Quinn (Stefanie Scott) comes to her door, wanting Elise's help in contacting the spirit of her mother who died of cancer recently.  Quinn has tried contacting her mother's spirit on her own, and strange things have been happening recently (like her diary being in a different place than she left it) that makes the girl think that her mother is trying to get in touch with her.  Elise is sympathetic to the girl, but warns her against calling out to the dead, as Quinn never knows just who may be listening.

As it turns out, a spirit has indeed heard Quinn's calls, but rather than her mother, it's a much more malevolent spirit who likes to leave sticky black footprints on the floor (as well as the walls and ceiling), and may have something sinister in mind for the poor girl.  With Quinn's emotionally distant father (Dermot Mulroney) busy trying to hold his family together since the death of his wife, no one seems to be listening when her life might be in danger.  And when Quinn ends up shattering both of her legs in a car accident, she becomes bedridden and an easy victim to the tormenting spirit.  This device is also quite brilliant, as it not only increases the danger Quinn is in, but it makes her more sympathetic.  She is in a state where she cannot fight back against whatever spirit might be in her bedroom, and can only wait for the inevitable.  It gets to the point where her father must go to Elise himself, pleading for her help, and Elise must confront her own personal demons and return to the spirit world in order to save Quinn.

Insidious: Chapter 3 really does nothing new with its plot, but it's helped out a lot with a stronger than usual cast who all give well-rounded performances, and the fact that it's just as interested in the characters at the center of all the creepiness as it is in setting up effective scares.  And for his first time as a director, Leigh Whannell clearly has an understanding for building suspense.  He likes to use silence to build up to his scares.  Yes, we know when pretty much all of them are coming, but they are still effective when they happen.  I admit to jumping in my seat more than once.  The movie is also paced very well.  It's not overly rushed, and gives the characters plenty of room to grow and develop, but it also doesn't feel dragged out.  The sense of danger is always there, even during the film's intentionally slower moments.  And when the danger finally takes center stage and we start entering the spirit world, the payoff is usually worth it.

That's not to say the movie is perfect.  There are a few side characters who are introduced, and then are given little to do, such as a boy next door who is obviously interested in Quinn.  He is introduced early on in the film, making us think he will play a major part, only to disappear without a single word shortly after.  It made me wonder if most of his part wound up being cut.  There is also an elderly couple who live nearby the heroes who get a few effective and surprisingly touching scenes, but again, they're not used to the fullest that they could have been.  Finally, there is the film's climactic moment, which ends up being a bit sillier than I think the filmmakers intended.  It's over the top and a little bombastic, when the rest of the movie had been quiet and subtle in its creepiness.  I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that I'm sure Lin Shaye had a lot of fun shooting the scenes, and she got some applause from the audience during her big moment.

Still, Insidious: Chapter 3 succeeds in the end, because it's actually about something other than the special effects and the ghouls who are tormenting the human cast.  These are good performances, and well-written characters that we become attached to.  For a low budget summer thriller, this is a highly effective one, and a well-needed jolt in what has so far largely been a disappointing summer movie season.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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