It’s Tuesday, October 1, which means we’re kicking off Bloody Disgusting’s “31 Days of Halloween” with a beloved spooky supernatural film that also kickstarted a franchise: James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s supernatural haunter Insidious.
Released in theaters on April 1, 2011, Insidious played with haunted house conventions and laid the groundwork in scare crafting for Wan’s The Conjuring, a box office juggernaut released only two years later. Delivering atmosphere, plenty of scares, a compelling and unconventional hero in Elise Rainier, and a unique addition to the ghost story, Insidious makes for a perfect Halloween treat.
Synopsis: Shortly after the Lambert family moves into their new home, their son Dalton falls into a mysterious coma after a nasty fall in the attic. There’s more to this incident than meets the eye, as evidenced by the creepy paranormal activity that follows. They look to experts and the past for help in getting their son back.
Key Players: Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play worried parents John and Renai Lambert, Barbara Hershey is Josh’s mother Lorraine, and Lin Shaye is franchise hero Elise Rainier. Gifted demonologist Rainier works with two professionals/assistants Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), who provide the comedic relief.
Why It’s on the List: Insidious reinvigorated the concept of a haunted house with the introduction of astral projection and a creepy realm known as The Further. Coping with haunted houses typically tends to be as easy as simply vacating the premises, but screenwriter Whannell changed that up by making Dalton himself haunted. There’s no escaping that, especially not for his loving parents – parents that have a haunted past with astral projection themselves.
Director James Wan showed serious chops in crafting scares, too. From the numerous jump scares to the subtle background details, all were carefully orchestrated to send chills down your spine. This low budget spookfest made massive profits at the box office, too, with three sequels to follow. In other words, this early decade hit deserves celebration.
The Best Scare: There are numerous worthy contenders in Insidious, but this bold jump scare takes place in broad daylight. That’s ballsy as hell. And it works!
Where You can Watch: Insidious is currently streaming on Netflix.
Are you a fan of Insidious? What’s your favorite scary moment?
