Movie Review: Insidious Chapter Two

Let’s just get this out of the way – I didn’t love this first Insidious.  The concept was fantastic, but it fell short of its potential.

The sequel takes the concept, along with all the good parts of the first movie, and runs with them.  The family we care about, glimpses of ‘the further’, and the lovable bumbling pair of paranormal investigators all have returned in full force.

If you missed the first movie, it will likely be a bit challenging to follow ‘Chapter Two’, which picks up right where the first one ended.

The story shines in this second part.  We are treated to back stories and explanations.  But not everything is as it seems.

Lin Shaye is as warm and amazing as ever.  She projects that look of full terror with her eyes in a way that few can.

Patrick Wilson gives a standout performance.

The whole cast: Barbara Hershey as the strong matriarch, Rose Byrne as the mother trying to hold it together, to the kids and everyone in between – give solid performances that build the story.

And what a story it is.

It is such a peculiar balance between giving villains personality – even sympathy – and still being able to see them as unflinchingly evil.  Insidious Chapter 2 gives the audience that.  We understand, recognize, and even feel a bit sorry for the evil force that is at play.

The world is rarely simply black and white – good and evil – and it is always appreciated when a horror movie takes those nuances of life and showcases them.  The audience isn’t spoon-fed some limited view of morality, but we are given a window to how a monster is created.

To me, those often make the most powerful stories.  Understanding that a monster is created – fed a steady diet of pain and hate – to become the thing we fear.

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