Director: James Wan
Talent: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey
Release Date: 13th September 2013
Having created the original (and only decent) Saw, director James Wan has since become the poster boy of New Hollywood Horror. More recently, he’s reinforced his reputation as an auteur by refining what makes the genre work rather than attempting to make any drastic changes. It’s this that made the original Insidious such a success: it was simple but it was also very scary.
With many of the franchise’s horror devices already established, Wan’s approach with Insidious Chapter 2 relies heavily on world-building and fleshing out the story of the haunted Lambert family. This is especially true in the final third when things veer towards the camp even as the scares attempt to come thick and fast. Though evidently weaker than the original, Wan keeps things interesting by borrowing from other modern successes such as [Rec] and Hideo Nakata’s Ring. These disparate elements come together to make a far less cynical sequel than most have come to expect from the inane horror-movie-churning machine.
