BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 21: INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 (2013)

Insidious was one of those films that was made on a low budget, expected to earn a modest amount in the box office, and be done. But Insidious did something very few horror films had done: make an utterly terrifying PG13 film that made everyone forget that they were watching a PG13 film. The ending, in reality just a tried and true horror trope, had (one of) the villains succeed leaving the story open for a sequel. Insidious took a classic plot and gave it a fresh spin, offering audiences something familiar and new at the same time. And the scares were crafted extremely well, perhaps the most crucial element to this film's success.

INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2, directed by James Wan, came out the same year as The Conjuring, also directed by James Wan. We'll skip over the fact that James Wan, in the span of one year, produced two incredibly potent horror films (something very few directors have done). Again PG13, Insidious 2 showed everyone that, when done right, a PG13 horror film can be just as effective as The Conjuring's R rating. The Conjuring being R rated may have given it the edge over Insidious 2 but the fact remains that both films were very well done. Insidious 2 has, what I feel is, an even stronger story than the first, and even greater scares.

Sadly James Wan would abandon the Insidious films in favor of the burgeoning Conjuring franchise, but he did finish the story he began telling in the first Insidious giving us a completed story.

THE PLOT

Josh and Renai Lambert's nightmare continues as the police investigate Elise's murder, suspecting Josh as the killer. Renai isn't quite sure what she saw in the camera lens that night, but she can't deny that something is off about Josh. With their son, Dalton, revived from his coma the family decides to spend a few nights at Josh's mother's house. To the family's horror the poltergeists have returned and a new ghost, a pale woman in white more malevolent than the others, begins haunting them. Who is this new ghost and what is her connection to the Bride in Black spirit that has haunted Josh all his life? Their only hope may lie with a dead woman.

WHAT I LIKED

The Story. Leigh Whannell pens the script once again and provides, in my opinion, an even stronger script than the first Insidious. The brilliant choice was made to abandon the lesser-received demonic character from the first film to further explore the Bride in Black, arguably the more potent of the first film's ghoulish characters. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this film's story is the non-linear structure and the interweaving with seemingly none-connected moments with the first film. Insidious 2 shows us that there was more going on in the first films and it does it in an original and exciting way. Not only does Insidious 2 continue the story but it also reinforces the first film as well.

PG13 without Sacrificing the Scares. To deliver an effective horror film and be rated PG13 is an incredible challenge. The fact that this film is just as scary, if not more so in areas, as the R rated Conjuring is a true testament to the talents of the filmmakers. The Bride in Black is incredibly scary and the Woman in White maybe even more. Very few of the films scares fall flat, nearly all refined to a razor's edge. Joseph Bishara once again composes the score and his music adds tremendously to the thrills of the film. His music for the series is an essential ingredient in the success of these films. The score elevates the images on screen and heightens the tension. His work is one of the best recent examples of the effectiveness of music on film.

NITPICKS

There's kind of a major plot hole in this movie which really isn't addressed at all: Where's the demon? Now I know that the demon, when it was fully revealed in the first Insidious, didn't quite strike the right cord with audiences. Most everybody I talk to about Insidious mentions how big of a letdown the demon reveal was citing that the demon looked laughable. I get that and can see why the filmmakers chose to disregard the character in the future films. And this film didn't really need the demon at all. But according to the story, the demon knows where Dalton's body is.

Dalton only outran the demon back to his body. Shouldn't the demon be hovering around Dalton waiting for another opportunity to strike when next Dalton ventures into the Further? Like I said, I know and understand why the demon was left out of this film, a creative choice most likely due to the negative reactions to the character from the first film. But shouldn't it at least be acknowledged in some way? They could explain away this plot hole in a later film but as it stands it's the only shaky aspect of an otherwise wonderful script.

THE VERDICT

The story of the Lambert Family is brought to a close with this second installment in the Insidious franchise. By and large the script is stronger and creatively interwoven with the first film. The scariest aspect of the first film, the Bride in Black, takes center stage in this film and the scares climb with the introduction of the Woman in White. Joseph Bishara once again delivers a powerful film score enhancing the frightful experience. Being PG13 doesn't hurt this film in the slightest as it is one of the scariest films, R rated or otherwise, that I've seen in a long time.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10