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Insidious (Blu-ray)
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Momentum Pictures Review written by and copyright: Neil Bray (4th September 2011). |
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The Film
 I remember when Saw became a phenomenon, reading an interview with Leigh Whannell in which he enthused about his love of horror films. How much you enjoy Insidious is going to depend on whether you think he has lovingly paid homage to the films he loves or whether he has simply stolen some of the best elements from those films; because this film is chock full of references and tributes to other films such as The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, A Nightmare On Elm Street and The Entity, and in my opinion is all the better for it (there’s even a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to the Saw films). Film aficionados will pick up on these references; but they will probably whizz past the casual viewer without any effect. Luckily there’s a lot here for the casual viewer and the true fan to enjoy. Insidious follows Josh and Renai Lambert as they move into their new home with their three young children. Shortly after, their eldest son, Dalton, falls into a coma and, at the same time, strange events begin to occur in the house: voices over the baby monitor, doors opening by themselves and shadowy figures lurking in the corner of the eye. Moving as far away from the style of Saw as they can possibly get, writer/actor Leigh Whannel and director James Wan have crafted an old-style ghost story that knows what scares you and is not ashamed to deliver it in spades. Everything here exudes old-school filmmaking and everything works perfectly. The family are average, the setting surburban; the pace is steady and the scares are slow to appear; but when the momentum begins this really is a cracking and genuinely scary film that through clever camera work, a great cast and a terrific script builds the tension to ‘give me a new pair of pants’ levels. Yes, there are plenty of moments where something jumps out and goes “Boo!” to elicit a jump from the viewer but the film never suffers for this; because the creators know where to place these moments to get the best possible effect and never at the expense of the story or characters. Atmosphere wise, the film has a definite Poltergeist vibe to it with frequent injections of The Entity (even down to the inspired choice of casting Barbara Hershey), but somehow, despite this manages to stay fresh and original. Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson do terrific jobs as Josh and Renai and much like Jo-Beth Williams and Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist are very likeable and it’s very easy to root for them and their children. The ghosts range from the vaguely unnerving to the downright terrifying and should have any avid horror fan grinning. Personally, I loved this film. I loved it for the direction, the acting and the story; but, more importantly, I loved it for how much I felt it was a true love letter to previous horror movies; and I defy any horror fan to not get enjoyment out of figuring out what films are being referenced.
Video
Presented in 2.35:1 (1080p AVC) this film looks excellent. There are a lot of dark scenes but the black levels and contrast are so effectively done that everything is fully visible. The film has a bleakness in its palette that really adds to the atmosphere. The picture is very sharp and impressive.
Audio
An English DTS HD-Master 5.1 track is the only option on this disc; and while I felt it was a perfectly decent track I was slightly disappointed that it didn’t take more advantage of the spooky score and sound effects. Nonetheless, it’s nothing to complain about. All the speakers are fully utilised and dialogue is clear. English subtitles are also included.
Extras
Startup Trailers for The Woman in Black, Troll Hunter, Season of the Witch and Limitless. Theatrical Trailer (0.47) Horror 101: The Exclusive Seminar (10.26) – Leigh Whannell and James Wan talking about the inspiration for the film and their love of haunted house and possession movies. Interesting but rather lacking in depth. On Set with Insidious (8.15) – A behind-the-scenes peek which incorporates sound-bite interviews with the cast and crew. Insidious Entities (6.32) – Cast and Crew interviews specifically talking about the variety of ghosts in the film and their inspiration.
Overall
This is a truly entertaining film that is let down on this release by its rather middle-of-the-road extras. But, the film is so good I could mark down the overall score too much. Turn out the lights, grab a cushion and prepare to be enthralled. ‘Nuff said!
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