Movie Review Insidious The Last Key

Insidious The Last Key (2018) 

Directed by Adam Robitel

Written by Leigh Whannell

Starring Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Davison, Caitlin Gerard, Spencer Locke

Release Date January 5th, 2018 

I’ve finally figured out why I love the 'Insidious' franchise so much. It’s not that the franchise is all that better than most modern horror films, it still has the clumsiness and exposition laden dialogue and awkward humor that mark most low budget horror of the era. But, what 'Insidious' has over other modern horror movies is great characters. Genuinely likable, funny, and strong characters that we can really root for, especially Lyn Shaye’s brilliant Elise Rainier.

Insidious: The Last Key stars Lyn Shaye as Elise Rainier. Elise is a psychic who can speak to the dead and she’s made a business of it with her partners, Specs (Leigh Whannell, also the series screenwriter) and Tucker (Angus Simpson). Together they battle demons but their latest investigation is one that hits close to home, quite literally for Elise; this haunting is in her childhood home in Five Keys, New Mexico.

In an exceptional opening scene we are introduced to Elise as a child, played by Ava Colker). We find that Elise has always had the ability to speak to the dead, an ability that her mother encouraged and her father punished, quite violently. The opening scene finds Elise locked in her basement by her abusive father and suffering an immense tragedy in the fallout. The opening is exceptionally well-staged with a terrific jump scare and a genuinely moving bit of tragedy that only deepens our connection to Elise our franchise heroine.

Cut to Elise awakening from a dream in her home in California. Each dream for Elise is a piece of a puzzle she can use when she goes into 'The Further' that place between life and death where she battles demons for the souls of those who are taken. It is then that Elise receives a call from a man in New Mexico who has a haunting that happens to be in Elise's childhood home. The demons are calling her back to the place where her gift first took hold.

Find my full length review in the Horror Community on Vocal 

Movie Review Insidious Chapter 3

Insidious Chapter 3 (2015) 

Directed by Leigh Whannell 

Written by Leigh Whannell 

Starring Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott 

Release Date June 15th, 2015 

Published July 10th, 2023 

Insidious Chapter 3 is a vastly underrated entry in this terrific horror franchise. All of the Insidious movies have been pretty good but Chapter 3, with Leigh Whannell writing and directing is a low key brilliant horror movie. Whannell is a thoughtful, thorough, and detailed director and he brings that fully to bear on the trim, ingenious scares of Insidious Chapter 3. Stepping out of the shadow of his friend and partner James Wan, Whannell had a lot to live up and Insidious Chapter 3 was proof that he could hang with the best in the genre. 

Insidious Chapter 3 is set several years prior the first Insidious film. The story finds our hero, Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye), a shell of the woman she was when we met her. It's the story of Elise finding herself again following the death of her husband and the threats made against her life by a demonic entity we will eventually come to know as 'The Black Bride." For now, however, Elise pads about in a housecoat and sleeps with her husband's cardigan in a scene so sad I can't stand thinking about it. Elise's stupor is interrupted by the arrival of young woman at her door. 

Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) is desperate to speak with her late mother and she's been referred to Elise as someone who can communicate with the dead. Elise, at first, tries to turn the young woman away but soon relents. What she finds is that Quinn's forays into the world of the dead have communicated with someone, but it is most certainly not her mother. She warns Quinn not to continue contacting her mother but deep down, Elise knows that this vile entity is now attached to Quinn and she's in great danger. 

Insidious Chapter 3 also gives us the origin of Elise's connection to Specks (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson). The duo is a pair of ghost hunters who have yet to encounter any actual ghosts. They do however, have advanced equipment that could, potentially, help them find one. Specks and Tucker are called by Quinn's father, Sean Brenner (Dermot Mulroney), at the behest of his son, who saw them on YouTube. Quinn, at this point, has undergone several inexplicable events that have endangered her life so even her skeptical father has to admit, something is going on. 

That's when Elise returns, partners with Specks and Tucker, and the fight to save Quinn from The Further is on. Whannell's talent for pacing, clever ideas for scares, and atmosphere are on full display in Insidious Chapter 3. Whannell has a sense of wonder about his work that I really enjoy. He has a sort of awe for what his characters are doing which feels appropriate. Eventually, this will be a routine for them, but this is there first adventure together and their chemistry is immediately apparent. 

Find my full length review at Horror.Media 

Movie Review Insidious Chapter 2

Insidious Chapter 2 (2013) 

Directed by James Wan 

Written by Leigh Whannell 

Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Ty Simpkins 

Release Date September 13th, 2023 

Published July 8th, 2023 

The first Insidious Chapter was an impressively creepy movie for a PG-13 rated horror movie. The film achieved a solid atmosphere and via tremendous production design, makeup and practical effects, the film became a smash hit. And it deserved to be a hit, James Wan and Leigh Whannell had managed to create a wholly original horror movie at a time when franchises and familiar I.P remakes were the norm in Hollywood. It was a no-brainer that there would be an Insidious sequel but what no one could expect is how much of an improvement the sequel would be over the terrific original. 

Insidious Chapter 2 picks up in the wake of the shock death of Lin Shaye's iconic and immediately beloved, Elise Rainer. The Lamber family is now living with Lorraine Lambert (Barbara Hershey), Josh's mom, in the wake of the horrors that led to their son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), spending a year trapped in another realm called The Further. Josh (Patrick Wilson) had managed to save his son from this other realm but, as observed by Renai (Rose Byrne), Josh did not come back the same man he was. Instead, an unsteady, often volatile Josh stalks their home, only occasionally showing off the qualities that she loves about him. 

The plot of Insidious Chapter 2 kicks into gear quickly with Lorraine realizing that her son is not the man she knows. Knowing something is very wrong, Lorraine seeks out Elise's team, Specks (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), who are now at Elise's home. They've found a key piece of evidence that shows Josh may be trapped in The Further. With Elise gone, they need a new medium and Lorraine calls on another old friend, Carl (Steve Coulter), the man who initially connected Lorraine with Elise when Josh was a child and traveling dangerously into the further. 

Via Carl we get the backstory of the person who has been stalking Josh all his life, The Black Bride, a vicious and very dangerous serial murderer. Is the Black Bride the entity who has possessed Josh? How will they find their way into The Further to find out? And how will Elise come back to help? These questions have solid answers that build brilliantly on what you already know from Insidious Chapter 1. Watching Insidious Chapter 2 it appears quite clear that James Wan and Leigh Whannell had a plan for a sequel all along as moments from the first film provide a perfect foundation for what we get in Chapter 2. 

It's almost like a fun little game, recalling things that happened in Insidious Chapter 1 and seeing how they happened via Insidious Chapter 2. The seamless integration of the two films gives a little kick to the proceedings of Chapter 2. For me, auteurs are filmmakers for whom details matter. Meticulousness is a strong trait among our best film storytellers and James Wan, along with Leigh Whannell, are an auteurist team who care deeply about the minutia of their storytelling. They recognize the joy that can from having lore and how discovering lore can bond and audience with a story. 

The Insidious movies are thick with lore but not so dense that they become incomprehensible to new audiences. It's a delicate balance, but one that Wan and Whannell achieve via studious attention to details that audiences can choose to follow closely or simply experience on a per thrill basis. You can either actively involve yourself in Insidious or simply enjoy the horror movie ride of the Insidious films without taking note of the layered and extensive lore. For me, I love the lore, I adore the attention to detail and the care with which the filmmakers take to build a community around the Insidious films. 

I also love, love, love the work of Lin Shaye. It was clear in the original Insidious that she was the star of the movie and perhaps the biggest failure of Insidious Chapter 1 was not pivoting away from her ending in that movie. Shaye was the breakout character and the filmmakers recognized that going foward when they bring her back here in Chapter 2 and go back to her in subsequent features, minus Wan but with Whannell firmly shaping the lore. 

Find my full length review at Horror.Media 

Movie Review Insidious

Insidious (2011) 

Directed by James Wan 

Written by Leigh Whannell

Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye 

Release Date April 1st, 2011

Published April 1st, 2011

The creators of "Saw" and "Paranormal Activity" have come together to create a PG-13 creep-fest that doesn't lose anything for its lack of gore and swear words. "Insidious" stars Rose Byrne as Renai and Patrick Wilson as her husband Josh. Together they have three kids and a brand new dream home.

Dream home becomes a nightmare

Unfortunately, that dream home quickly turns into a nightmare when Renai and Josh's son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) explores the house he ends up falling off a ladder. Soon after, Dalton falls into a coma and that's when things get weird. Dalton's doctor informs mom and dad that their son has no physical trauma from his fall and there is no medical reasoning for his coma.

Dalton is taken home and for a few months he simply seems to sleep. That's when the haunting begins. First, the whole family is taunted by some entity that sets off their security system. Then Renai begins seeing figures walking around the house. Finally the family is forced out of the house, assuming that it is the house that is haunted. I will stop the direct plot description there.

There's something about Elise

The fun of "Insidious" really begins after the family moves into their new home and the ghosts move with them and Lin Shaye, best remembered as the overly suntanned neighbor of Cameron Diaz in "There's Something About Mary" joins the cast as Elise, a psychic, paranormalist and expert in something called 'Astral Projection.' Shaye's performance is arguably the most entertaining in the film as she is both oddly sunny and believably strange.

Elise with her team, including "Insidious" screenwriter Lee Whannell, informs the family that Dalton is not in a coma. What's wrong with Dalton is one of the many fun secrets of "Insidious" that I will not spoil. Director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell prove with "Insidious" that they don't need the torture implements of the "Saw" films to earn screams from the audience.

If you thought Tiny Tim was creepy before...

In "Insidious" Wan and Whannell use clever imagery to get the big scares. Watch the windows; in nearly every window frame in "Insidious" there is a frightening glimpse of something creepy. Wan and Whannell don't stop at pictures however and when the spooks and demons begin coming into the room things get really creepy. Wan and Whannell even turn Tiny Tim's ukulele anthem "Tiptoe through the Tulips" into an eerie set piece.

"Insidious" is a smart combination of Wan and Whannell's talent for fright imagery with the concept of the "Paranormal Activity" movies with their endless numbers of cameras, doors that shut by themselves and ghastly ghostly possessions. It's a surprisingly good mix that somehow works even with the restrictive PG-13 rating.

Movie Review: Dead Silence

Dead Silence (2007) 

Directed by James Wan

Written by Leigh Whannell

Starring Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton

Release Date March 16th, 2007 

Published March 15th, 2007 

James Wan and Leigh Whannell shot to fame as the team behind the Saw movies. Wan directed and Whannell wrote the script for the original Saw and their originality and clever twists kept audiences reeling all the way to over 100 million dollars worldwide. Since then James Wan has consulted as producer on Saw 2 & 3 while Whanell wrote the screenplays and kept their vision and guidance on the films intact.

Now, Wan and Whannell are out with their first post-Jigsaw horror film, a creepy puppet flick called Dead Silence. And thankfully, once again, Wan and Whannell hit another home run. Dead Silence is skin crawlingly creepy, ironic and smart with great twists and inventive gore.

There was a woman named Mary Shaw who, in 1941, in the town of Ravens Fair, was murdered. Her tongue was ripped out, an ironic means of death as Shaw was a ventriloquist. Unfortunately, for her killers, Mary Shaw did not stay dead. Year after year the people of Ravens Fair have turned up dead in a similar fashion to Mary Shaw.

Ryan Kwanten plays Jamie, a newlywed whose family was born and bred and Ravens Fair; though he himself left years ago. One night as he and his wife Lisa (Lauren Regan) are pondering take out food, a package arrives and inside is a reminder of the legend of Mary Shaw. Inside is Billy, a creepy looking ventriloquists dummy with frighteningly realistic eyes and an air of menace that is inexplicable.

When Jamie runs out to get food he returns to a true horror scene, the doll is on his bedroom floor and his wife is in bed dead, her tongue ripped out. Taken in by the cops, Jamie tells detective Jim Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg) all about the legend of Mary Shaw and why he must go to Ravens Fair to find whoever killed his wife. The detective is convinced that Jamie is the killer but without evidence all he can do is tail Jamie to Ravens Fair and hope he gives himself away.

To reveal much more about the plot of Dead Silence would be to reveal to much. The twists and turns of this plot are not quite as intricate as director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell's debut picture Saw, but as far as scares go, Dead Silence is everything you would hope for from the guys who invented Jigsaw. Creepy, gory, atmospheric, Dead Silence is an honest to goodness scary movie that you will take home with you in your nightmares.

So what makes Dead Silence more creepy and clever than the dozens of horror films that have preceded it in this decade? It comes directly from the talents of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. The scenarios they set in motion combine logical storytelling with strong suspense filmmaking and keep us in the audience in a constant state of alert, sitting on the edge of our seat, unable to predict what is going to happen next.

Wan and Whannell never retreat to the typical horror cliches to achieve their scares. There are no unnecessary shock cuts, no red herrings and no abuse of bombastic musical scoring to tell audiences when to be scared. Where so many modern horror films are utterly predictable, the Saw pictures, all written by Whannell with producer credits for Wan on Saw 2 and 3, and now Dead Silence avoid predictibility by employing great staging and scene setting. The audience is so busy covering their eyes in anticipation of the next scare, they simply don't have time tp predict what comes next.

Dead Silence isn't completely unpredictable, near the end; the film falls victim to Roger Ebert's legendary law of economy of characters. That law states that there are no extraneous characters and Dead Silence has one character that you have no doubt will be important later; whose plot isn't wrapped up when the rest of the movie seems to be. This oversight by Wan and Whannell is forgiven because the ending delivers big time on the fate of this extraneous character.

Dead Silence is a visceral horror experience with real scares and edge of your seat thrills. James Wan and Leigh Whannell prove once again why they are the pre-eminant artists of this genre. Combining the talents of Wes Craven and Clive Barker with a dash of Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling, Wan and Whannell bridge the gap between gory, blood-soaked horror and intellectual, atmospheric horror.

And, of course, they have creepy puppets. What more could you ask of a horror movie.