Insidious

Makes up in “boo!” moments for what it lacks in originality

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2011

Moderately effective haunted-house movie from the guys who gave us Saw breaks no new ground but makes up in “boo!” moments for what it lacks in originality. And it’s gasp-rather-than-gag non-gory. Happy family (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, kids) moves into a new house, and before you can say “Amityville,” things are going bump in the night and one of the kids is in a coma. They engage a psychic and a couple of bumbling, charmingly analog ghostbusters. A lot of exposition in the second half once the action moves to the Other Side, here called the “Further,” but a capable chiller for a hot day.

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Metropolis

Metropolis is Japan's No. 1 English magazine, covering the nation's culture, fashion, entertainment and lifestyle for both local residents and aficionados abroad.