Editorials
Can ‘Insidious: Chapter 3’ Course-Correct The Franchise?
When Insidious was released back in 2011, it marked the resurgence of low budget horror after a decade of big budget remakes and other (lazy) major studio horror films. The film was such a success (both critically and commercially), that a sequel was inevitable. Unfortunately, Insidious: Chapter 2 was not greeted with the same accolades that its predecessor received.With Insidious: Chapter 3 coming out this weekend, we thought it might be worth discussing whether or not it’s possible for the prequel to fix where the first sequel went wrong.
Insidious is one of my favorite horror films so far this decade, and I never expected it to be. At the time of its release, PG-13 horror didn’t inspire much confidence (and still doesn’t), and James Wan wasn’t as much of a household name as he is now. Yes, he made a name for himself with Saw, but after a few duds like Dead Silence and Death Sentence, Wan was not the hot name he once was. Once I finally saw it, I was blown away.
I know people have a lot of issues with the final act of the film, but as I’ve mentioned before, I kind of love it. The film was terrifying (don’t even tell me you didn’t get scared by that lipstick-faced demon) and heartfelt, while being grounded by the performances of Lin Shaye, Rose Byrne (whom I absolutely love), Patrick Wilson and Barbara Hershey. Hell, even the child actors were great! It also subverted many of the haunted house genre expectations (they actually move to a new house!).
Two years later, Insidious: Chapter 2 was released. It still made a healthy profit, but it was bashed by critics and audience members alike. While it isn’t necessarily the sequel I wanted, I don’t hate it like so many other people seem to. It is certainly not as good as the first one, mostly because there aren’t any surprises. It’s just another case of “more of the same.” Also, all of the character’s are pretty stupid for not realizing the Patrick Wilson character is possessed immediately at the start of the film.
My main gripe with the film isn’t the direction the plot took the “Black Bride” character, but more so with the fact that the tone of the film seemed to drastically change. It was a sillier film, and this was due to the overabundance of the Specs and Tucker characters, both of whom I actually like, in small doses. Also, the heart that was present in the first film seemed to be missing from Chapter 2.
Now we have Insidious: Chapter 3 being released this weekend, and I’m worried, but hopeful. It’s a prequel, which I’m usually not a fan of (I don’t care about backstory; I want to see the franchise’s plot move forward), but since the series kind of screwed itself by killing off Shaye in the end of the first film, a prequel makes sense. Her cameo in Chapter 2 felt awkward.
Add to that the fact that the Lambert family is (supposedly) no longer involved, James Wan is no longer directing (though if it had to be anyone, I’m glad Leigh Whannell was his replacement) and I’m not sure what to think of this film. As I mentioned earlier, Insidious had plenty of scares and a lot of heart, both of which were things missing from Chapter 2. The best thing Chapter 3 could do is reinfuse those things back into the story.
I’m not trying to be a Negative Nancy here at all, and I certainly am not asking for the backlash I received when discussing the X-Files reboot (though all opinions are welcome in the comments below). I want this film to instill in me the excitement I felt when I left the theater from watching the first film (twice). I just think it’s important for the filmmakers to remember what made the first Insidious so good in the first place. Chapter 2 felt rushed and a little bit lazy. I don’t want that for this film.
If the goal is to have each sequel be a standalone(ish) film following a different demon-hunting expedition of Elise, Specs and Tucker, then I suppose it could be interesting (though it doesn’t sound like it). I’m not really sure where I want the franchise to go, but I hope Chapter 3 sets it back on the right track (at least tonally).
Of course, it’s too late now for them to change anything about the film, but I’m interested to know what you think. Are you excited for Chapter 3? Or did Chapter 2 leave such a bad taste in your mouth that you’ve given up on the franchise? Let me know in the comments below!
The trailer for Ti West’s upcoming adaptation of A Christmas Carol raised a lot of eyebrows when it dropped earlier this week. While plenty of folks initially dismissed Ebenezer as a derivative project meant to cash in on the recent wave of unnecessary prequels that expand the backstory of beloved characters (such as 2023’s Wonka), Charles Dickens’ original novel already made a point of exploring Ebenezer Scrooge’s origins in detail – meaning that this new film is likely just a particularly faithful adaptation of the source material under a different name.
Couple that with the fact that the movie is being helmed by a genuine horror auteur and I think it’s safe to say that the latest iteration of the first modern ghost story is in good hands.
That being said, one detail that immediately jumped out at me during the brief teaser (other than a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to Johnny Depp’s iconic bedroom death scene from the original A Nightmare on Elm Street) is the fact that many of Ebenezer’s ghosts appear to have been directly lifted from the iconic John Leech illustrations that accompanied the first edition of Dickens’ novel.
Here are a couple of stills from the trailer compared to the original artwork:
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in ‘Ebenezer’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’
The Phantoms in ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Ebenezer’
Marley’s Ghost in ‘Ebenezer’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’
Mainly working with old-school wood and steel engravings that would later be transferred to print, Leech was instrumental in crafting the iconic look of history’s most influential phantoms – especially since Dickens is said to have been deeply involved with the creation of these so-called “comic illustrations.”
And since the novel is commonly said to have popularized spiritualism in Victorian England, much of the ghostly iconography that we still see in genre media to this very day (including some of Ti West’s previous films) can be traced back to the author’s partnership with Leech.
Ebenezer won’t be the first A Christmas Carol adaptation to borrow heavily from these designs, but I can appreciate how Ti West is incorporating an important part of horror history into his latest film.
Ebenezer will be available in theaters starting November 13.
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