Insidious

Insidious...2010...103 minutes...PG-13...starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Ty Simpkins...written by Leigh Whanell...directed by James Wan

The Lambert family has just moved into their house, and are settling in when they start noticing things. Objects moving by themselves, doors opening, the occasional strange sound: these are the activities that plague the young family. That is, until little Dalton goes to explore the attic and takes a tumble...subsequently falling into a mysterious coma. The activities step up quite a bit, and like any sensible family finding themselves bedeviled by supernatural events, our protagonists get the frak out of Dodge. But like the tag line says, it's not the house that's haunted.

Okay, I found this movie to be a refreshing change of pace from a lot of the stuff that's out there these days. If you're looking for a gorefest, or something with lots of gooshiness (yes, that's a word...or at least it is now), you will not be satisfied with Insidious. On the other hand, if you're looking for something high on suspense and low on blood, this movie is just the ticket.  I made the mistake of watching this film at night, and the DVD extras that I watched to ramp down the adrenaline were the only things that let me get some sleep that night.

The ending...well, I won't lie...the ending gets a little weird and a touch predictable. I found the overall ride to be well worth my time and money, though. I love James Wan for the simple fact that all the "jumps" in the movie are genuine...no black cats jump out from hidden nooks to make you start. In fact, some of the moments actually caught me off guard, and I'm pretty good at gauging where they'll be and how they'll work. I also loved his take on the seance...it was strange but the look of it kept up the mood he'd been trying to build.

Seriously, see this movie. It may not be perfect but it's damn good, and in this genre I'll take damn good any day of the week.

My rating: 4.5 modified Viewmasters out of 5