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INSIDIOUS Chapter 3

With Lin Shaye, Stefanie Scott, Dermot Mulroney, Angus Sampson, Leigh Wannell
Written & Directed by Leigh Wannell

Having written the first batch of Saw movies, and the first two Insidious chapters, Leigh Wannell has had quite a hand in giving audiences a new level of cinematic terror in the 2000s and halfway into this decade (2015). With his third Insidious installment he now takes it a step further by sliding into the director's chair for the first time. And he does an admirable job of it.

Being intimately acquainted with this dimension he created, Wannell takes the route many do when it comes to continued chapters of a franchise - the prequel. With the fate of some characters in chapter two, a prequel was also the only real way to bring them back, giving the audience an 'origins' view.

Before the Lambert family's ordeals depicted in the first two movies (and paranormal psychic Elise Rainier's involvement with them), the audience is taken back to where her shift into paranormal investigations kicked off (and linking up with techs Tucker and Specs - the latter played by writer-director Wannell).

Sean, a struggling working class dad lost his wife to cancer, but his daughter Quinn is not content to leave it there. Still feeling an energy around her, she's convinced it is her mother, and wants to communicate with her. On visiting Elise for a reading, the retired psychic feels reluctant (knowing the dangers her power holds), but having lost her husband, she has empathy for the girl who misses her mother. However, during this process Elise freaks out, encountering a spirit with a darker energy. This entity that Quinn feels around is not her mother, but a far more sinister force.

After an accident, Quinn is incapacitated, making it that much easier for this spirit to try and get her (leading to some very creepy scenes as this new threat seeps from the air vents into the physical world), opening the gates for some hair raising moments and another trip into The Further.

Characters like the Bride In Black from the first movie's photographs and the second part's main focus, plus other reminders pop up for welcome throwbacks to the previous chapters (that fans will recognize).

One of the weak points is Quinn's younger brother - adding very little to the plot and also the least convincing performer in the cast.

I don't know if people actually watch a movie's 3rd chapter without seeing the first two, but while it seems obvious, it is advisable to watch those before this one (unless you want to enter the What-Order-To-Watch-The-Star-Wars-Movies debate) - but I guess you could view this one first if you're so inclined.

Get ready for a scary ride.

4 / B
- Paul Blom


0 1 2 3 4 5 6
- A
- B - C

Check out the entire Insidious trilogy :
:

Insidious insidious 2 Insidious 3


never let a review decide for you, but for those who need a rating, see the Flamedrop scale below
6 - Volcanic
5 - Blistering
4 - Hot
3 - Smolder
2 - Room Temperature
1 - Fizzled
0 - Extinguished

A: Multi-Viewing Potential

B: Could Enjoy A 2nd Look

C: Once Should Suffice



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