Insidious: Chapter 3 Earns Scares, Adds Depth To Franchise (Review)

If you're on a first date and want to act like a big brave man, you'll have a hard time if you decide to go watch Insidious: Chapter 3. The movie is a terrifying addition which adds depth to the Insidious franchise. Serving as a prequel to the first two installments, Chapter 3 offers the back story of Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) from the previous installments while also introducing new characters to the franchise.

Teenager Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) recently lost her mother. She basically plays mom for her younger brother (Tate Berney) as her father, Sean (Dermot Mulroney) is just too busy trying to keep his life in order to connect with the kids. Constantly feeling her mother's presence, Quinn tries to reach out to her mom's spirit but as Elise will tell you, "when you call out to one of the dead, all of them can hear you."

This is the advice which Quinn should have heeded in order to avoid the terrifying supernatural events of Insidious: Chapter 3. Despite reluctance to visit the other side for her own welfare, medium Elise offers to help the haunted Quinn which unleashes some genuinely creepy demons into both of their worlds.

Insidious: Chapter 3 wanted to be scary and it succeeded. Audiences will find themselves jumping out of their skin or possibly even screaming as if they're just coming over the crest of a tall, chain-lift roller coaster. The claustrophobic settings, being confined into just four walls, may seem like it would limit the possibilities, but between the suspense, tension, and jump scares, it's hard to look away from the screen even when you're terrified and want to. The best part of the scares is that the majority are not cheap. Some are accompanied by a loud noise when a ghost appears or suddenly throws a hand onto Quinn but Chapter 3 also conjures up some very original, cover-your-eyes-in-terror moments.

To be scared during this one does not only mean to jump. It also means to be creeped out of your comfort zone and hurled into a claustrophobic world. One scene in particular, involving Chapter 3's main supernatural villain, will infuse audiences young and old with fear as "The Man Who Can't Breathe" torments young Quinn. 18-year-old Scott did a great job in the role, too. She genuinely seemed disturbed by the monsters which later haunted my dreams.

Chapter 3 is Leigh Whanell's first go at directing. It doesn't seem to have been a grueling task considering the small number of locations and experienced cast but nevertheless, Whanell shows signs of potential here. Can't hurt that Whanell is buddies with James Wan (Furious 7, The Conjuring), the director of the first two installments with whom he co-created the Saw franchise. In this case, Whanell crafted a story which deepens the characters from the original Insidious and Chapter 2. He found a way to put heart into a demonic, unbelievable film and make an otherwise laughable premise mostly acceptable. As for his technical ability: not a single miss. The camera movements and framing are spot on for creating beautifully terrorizing moments.

Insidious: Chapter 3 isn't a revolutionary horror film by any means but fans of the genre who enjoy an occasional jolt will get a good kick out of it. Heck, it may even convert some otherwise scaredy-cats into checking out more horror films in the future. It should serve as an example for horror movies to come because it is downright terrifying. Chapter 3 stays true to the franchise's demonic roots from start to finish. It can serve as either the fulfilling end of the Insidious franchise or be an opportunity to venture into a brand new story in the future.

Bottom Line: Insidious: Chapter 3 earns it's scares and provides a terrifying origin story for a handful of characters we already know. 7.2/10