Title: Insidious: Chapter 2

Director: James Wan

Released: September 13, 2013

Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes

Available to stream on: MAX

IMDb synopsis: The Lamberts believe that they have defeated the spirits that have haunted their family, but they soon discover that evil is not beaten so easily.

If you haven’t watched Insidious (2010) yet, then brace yourself for some spoilers, which may not come as a surprise, but it’s worth mentioning anyway.

It’s 1986 and a young Lorraine Lambert (Jocelin Donahue) has decided to call Elise Rainier (younger Elise portrayed by (Lindsay Seim) to save her son, Josh (younger Josh portrayed by Garrett Ryan), who is being haunted by the spirit of an old woman. During her inspection of the home for any paranormal activity, Elise’s arm is mysteriously slashed open by an evil force.

Flashforward twenty-five years we’re smack dab in the middle of the aftermath of the first movie. Elise unfortunately is dead and now Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) about her husband, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), and whether he had a hand in it.

The Lambert’s decide their best bet is to move. So, they pack up and decide to move to Lorraine’s house. New surroundings, should mean a fresh start, right? Well…no. As their luck would have it, Lorraine’s house presents its own version of paranormal events. Dalton (Ty Simpkins) begins telling his mom about a recurring dream with a woman in a white dress.

If that wasn’t enough, the two who worked closest with Elise, Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) have found something troubling on an old VHS recording of Elise’s 1986 session with Josh. When you enhance the image, there it is, clear as day, adult Josh standing behind young Josh. Luckily, Specs and Tucker are able to get ahold of Elise’s old colleague, Carl (Steve Coulter). Surprisingly, Carl agrees to offer his assistance.

From here, we’re off to the races.

What’s the explanation for adult Josh appearing in the photo of young Josh?

Is Carl capable of helping both Josh and Dalton suppress their memories?

While Foster (Andrew Astor), doesn’t seem to be too affected by these evil spirits, is poor Dalton in for another rough go of things?

Is Renai safe under the same roof as her husband?

Now, if you haven’t seen it before, this is where your homework starts. Head on over to MAX to get the answers for yourself.

And if you’ve already seen it, simply continue reading to see my thoughts on Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013).

In any franchise, especially horror, it’s completely reasonable to be skeptical of any run of sequels that try to cash in on the success of the original.

Luckily for us, we’re given a sequel that is arguably as good as, if not better than, the original installment.

First and foremost, it does an excellent job of continuing the story and the development of the characters. There’s no point where you sit and say, “Wait, this doesn’t fit in at all.”. Everything you see and hear somehow ties in and serves a purpose.

Speaking of seeing, personally I thought Chapter 2 is much easier on the eyes than the original. Yes, a lot of the action takes place in shadows and darkness. But you aren’t struggling to try and make out what’s on the screen. The colors don’t appear muted and dull as they did in all scenes of the original either.

The score and sound effects (hey, thanks, Dawn Lunsford) add an elevated level of suspense and tension. In any movie, but especially a horror movie, having an eerie and effective score and sound effects can have such an impact on the viewer that it changes how they feel about the entire movie.

Credit to James Wan for giving us a solid horror movie and delivering it in an hour and forty-six minutes. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome but doesn’t feel rushed either.

If you have seen the original Insidious, odds are you’ve probably already seen Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013). But if you haven’t, here’s your recommendation to go do so.

Well, now that you’ve read my thoughts, I want to read yours. What did you think of Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)? Tell me all about it in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

You know the drill, next up is the letter “E”. If you have a suggestion for a crew member you want highlighted whose name begins with the letter “E”, you have until Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening I’ll announce who the person is and what film of theirs we’ll be covering on Threads and Instagram.

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