As Insidious 2 comes out tomorrow (Friday 13th, what larks,) Cookie takes a look back at it's predecessor and what could've been..
Let me start this article with a tale; a tale so scary that you’ll be hiding under your hat forever. It is a tale of two women, a cinema and a film that made them cry (nearly.) Now, a bit of preposition; I don’t like watching scary movies in the cinema because I am forced to face my terror instead of pausing and fast forwarding it at home. I am a big wuss.
So when my sister and I picked Insidious to watch on the big screen, I have no idea what we were thinking. Maybe it was the cocktails beforehand or maybe it was my sister’s persuasive face. But as the lights dimmed in the theatre, I knew we’d regret it. We jumped, we hid and we laughed at each other for whatever crazy sounds were coming out of our terrified lips. But we'd regret it in another way. Because Insidious was both brilliant, scary, and scarily bad.
So, yes, Insidious is terrifying. The first half of Insidious, is better of spent underneath a hat. James Wan directs a delicious fright fest that makes you jump. Some scenes are intense and there is a level of psychological horror that elevates Insidious from the usual “jack in the box” thrills we’ve all come to know and loathe. There are moments that are shrouded by mystery as you lean closer to the screen because you are unsure if you saw what you did. And that moment of silence and concentration is when Wan unleashes a whole stream of scares that make you wish you brought another pair of pants. It turns the biggest of horror film fans into whimpering women (my sister.) And those with a nervous disposition to hide underneath their winter wear (me.)
Insidious 2 is set to hit cinemas tomorrow. The trailer doesn’t seem appealing. It feels that Wan to the direction of the weaker half of its predecessor which is so sad. Because for a while, Insidious seemed to be the way to go for scary movies and could’ve brought something new to the genre. This potential game changer was ruined by become over the top.
Insidious 2 had better be scary.
Otherwise, I'll have nothing more to mock my sister with.
TTFN
Cookie.
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