Insidious : Chapitre 3

I walked in with zero expectations and ended up being very pleasantly surprised. This movie was fun, well crafted and extremely entertaining. Being a big fan of the franchise (and of the genre)I was very happy with how this prequel explored the backstory of the psychic/medium and her future "helpers". The effects were great, the different ghosts/spirits/ entities were all different in their background and aspects. The plot was well developed and the jump-scares were well placed. There is no "repetition" from the previous two movies so this movie gained in originality.

You will not be disappointed.

Very fun ride!

NB: look for two thrilling cameos!!

I am going to be completely honest with you guys, I have never seen Insidious or its sequel. I saw this film today because i needed to pass some time and i couldn't be bothered to wait an extra half an hour to see San Andreas. I've heard that the others in the series are good films but i am not a huge fan of modern horror and prefer the 70s/80s vibe that we got with It Follows. Insidious Chapter 3 doesn't have that vibe, but it is still a lot better than most modern horror today and i found enjoyment out of it. I was also pleased that this film was a prequel because i had no trouble following the plot.

Going straight into it, the film follows a young girl called Quinn who is trying to reconnect to her deceased mother and visits a retired psychic. The encounter however leaves her with something else, instead of her mother trying to contact her like she first thought, something much more sinister approaches her and with the help from her father, the psychic and for some reason a couple of ghost hunters from the internet (really?!) They try to rid the evil from her. It sounds pretty basic and for the most part it is, but when it all wraps up the story between Quinn and her mother is surprisingly sentimental for a horror film and leaves quite an impact afterwards which is something i don't experience much with horror. This is a concept that an earlier horror film this year, The Woman In Black: Angel of Death, had the potential to do but ultimately failed. The way it is executed here is much better and that was really nice to see because it could have easily been another crappy modern horror prequel like Annabelle.

As for the horror itself? I can safely say it is one of the scariest horrors I've seen for a while. Like i mentioned, i'm not sure how scary the others are but this one will have anyone feeling unsettled at points and even made me jump out of my seat a few times, which was good because jump scares rarely have that effect on me. I think it worked with Insidious Chapter 3 because of the tense feel throughout and the fact that it doesn't throw one at you every couple of minutes that go by. It took a little bit of time for the movie to actually become interesting, but when it did it was enough to keep me entertained for the duration, which was all i wanted to be honest. I don't know any of the cast members from anything prior to this, but they were pretty 50/50 to me. The actresses who play Quinn and the psychic were very good whereas the father and the two ghost hunters were kinda awkward to watch. Was that enough to make this a bad movie? No, because it was not one.

all-in-all Insidious chapter 3 is an entertaining and tense film which is the right blend of jump scares and atmosphere, still not my favourite horror of the year (that goes to It Follows) but i enjoyed it more than Unfriended and The Woman in Black and liked the emotional twist it gave us. My biggest complaint is the cop-out ending. I don't know why horror films these days insist on having an ending where a mysterious figure pops up at you and screams because it doesn't look good it feels tacky and takes the atmosphere away from the film which is the number one complaint i have for Unfriended. But it didn't completely ruin the film for me and i think if i had seen the others i would understand what was happening so maybe i don't like it here for that reason. It kept me intrigued and made me want to watch the previous two, which is perfect being a prequel and all, so that is just what i will do.

A scare is much like a joke, tell it too many times and it will lose its charm. The third chapter of Insidious aim to repeat the success of the original with new characters and old proved methods of distributing chill. It has different atmosphere than previous rural haunting plus screeching hymn, which is a nice change of pace. At times it might revert back to repetitive gimmicks, but ultimately the capable cast led by Lin Shaye as they witness the perilous yet private story of a haunted girl manage to fright and fascinate.

Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) is saddened by the loss of her mother. Out of desperation she seeks Elise (Lin Shaye) to make unworldly contact. Elise is reluctant to help the troubled girl as she is distraught by her own problems. Though unwilling she still senses that an entity follows Quinn, but it is the farthest thing from her mother. While this premise is similar to The Conjuring, or others of the genre, it still works simply because the characters in predicament are likable.

Lin Shaye is very good on drawing sympathy, she looks fragile yet her on-screen compassionate nature is infectious. She also has a way to convey dread as a sort of more neighborly psychic instead of outright doomsayer. The new cast of Brenner family is also presentable. Stefanie Scott as Quinn is believable as an ordinary teen girl, with her typical girl issues and aspirations. The way she might seem plain, not a scream queen, is actually a boon to the movie as she's so much more relatable.

Dermot Mulroney as Sean, Quinn's father is a great choice. He appears convincing as a father, especially as a single parent who must deal with raising two kids and now the addition of invasive entity. The chemistry between the two as father-daughter is solid, while other supporting characters build up the suspense or deliver a glint of humor between the dark days.

It all comes down to the how horrifying this third chapter is. The set-up for horror is exceptionally done for the majority of the film, at several scenes it has some clever ways or perspectives to raise the thrill. However, it's still plagued by the same flaws of the franchise, such as resorting to screaming jump scares or it might lose steam as it goes further like the original. These rehearsed stuffs are admittedly have worn out their welcome, whether they persistently linger of not.

What really nails the horror is the victim, Quinn, as she is gradually gnawed by this malicious existence. In an analogy of a young woman abused, both physically and emotionally, she is shown of losing herself bits by bits. It has a bit of oriental touch as some scenes reminded me of Japanese thriller, and they work very well in tandem with confident acting of the cast. It's much easier to invest to their ordeal as it looks so personal.

Before the story Lambert family, there is a tale of breathlessly unfortunate lady. Familiar her story may be though the private display of her trial is suitably eerie.

Teenager Quinn Brenner has tried to contact her late mother on her own and then she goes to see medium Elise Rainier. Elise tells her she is retired but is persuaded to help; instead of contacting Quinn's mother she senses a malevolent presence. She advises Quinn to not attempt to contact her mother again. Shortly afterwards Quinn is involved in a serious accident which requires her to have both legs set in plaster while she recovers. When she return homes see starts seeing a shadowy man wearing an oxygen mask. After a number of increasingly frightening events her father goes to Elise to get help. Things don't go too well so Quinn's brother suggests contacting Specs and Tucker, a pair of internet ghostbusters.

This film is set some time before the events of the previous films and doesn't really require any knowledge of those films. That said there are a few elements that are more fun if you have some knowledge of the characters. It adds good backstory and shows how Elise came to work with unlikely associates Specs and Tucker. The story provides plenty of scares; some are just the usual jump scares but there is also an impressively pervasive creepiness much of the time. As with the previous films it manages to eschew gore and any real nastiness. The cast is solid enough; most notably Lin Shaye who makes a welcome return as Elise. Overall I wouldn't say this was a must see but if you are a fan of the genre it is more than good enough.

The teenager Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) visits the medium Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) expecting to contact her mother Lillith (Ele Keats). Quinn explains that she tried to contact her mother alone, but Elise refuses to help her. Soon Quinn is haunted by the fiend of The Man Who Can't Breathe (Michael Reid MacKay) in her room but her skeptical father Sean Brenner (Dermot Mulroney) does not believe in her words. However, when Quinn is violently attacked by the evil spirit, Sean asks Elise to help his daughter. Elise tries, but she is attacked by the Bride In Black (Tom Fitzpatrick) that wants to kill her and she refuses to continue. The desperate Sean is convinced by his son Alex (Tate Berney) to contacts the charlatans Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell) that have a blog relating their supernatural experiences while Elise meets her friend Carl (Steve Coulter) that convinces her to help Quinn. Can the teenager be saved from the possession of the evil spirit?

"Insidious: Chapter 3" is a horror film and prequel of "Insidious" that uses the same successful formula rekindled. The performances are convincing and the storyline is well written. The astral projection of Elise is scary and the viewer will certainly startle many times. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sobrenatural: A Origem" ("Supernatural: The Origin")