Horror movies have been a staple of the movie-going experience for nearly a century. There have been many thrilling franchises to come out of the genre in that time, especially in the past decade. One franchise that stands out as particularly frightful and beloved is the Insidious movie franchise. Born from the creative vision of James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Oren Peli, and Jason Blum, the Insidious movies have gained a devout fan base that follow the movies through their terrifying journey.
The first Insidious movie was released in 2010 and stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as the couple of Josh and Renai Lambert who move into a seemingly harmless suburban home. Little do they know, the house is habited by a supernatural force that uses their son’s astral projection abilities to bridge the gap between the living and the dead. From there, the couple has to discover the source of the vexing hauntings and how to protect their son while being pursued by spiritual beings hellbent on stealing his life.
The rest of the movies follow in a similar vein, with the characters using their newfound powers to protect their family and friends from the hordes of dark entities. These dark entities come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from insidious creatures known as the Lipstick-Face Demon, to malevolent witches, to even seemingly usual household items that can possess their viewers.
The Insidious Movies
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Insidious (2010)
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Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
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Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
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Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
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Insidious: The Dark Realm (2020)
Insidious: Chapter 4 (2021)
The latest movie in the Insidious franchise is set for release in 2021. While details about the movie are sparse, it is assumed the movie will focus on the beginning of the Lambert family’s supernatural adventure, before the events of the first movie.
The Influence of the Insidious Movies
The Insidious movies have made a huge impact on the horror genre. The movies combine the traditional jump scares and frightful entities of the traditional haunted house and funhouse horror, with a complex mythology involving astral projection and other supernatural powers, as well dark entities and connotations with the afterlife.
These elements blend seamlessly in the Insidious movies, creating an engaging and detailed universe that fans can sink their teeth into.
The Scenarios and Characters of the Insidious Movies
The Insidious movies feature scenes full of suspense, dread, and the bizarre ways in which their characters interact in these scenarios. The main focus of the movies are on the main character’s family and how they protect, and possibly save, them from the supernatural entities that stalk them.
The family is made up of husband and wife, Josh and Renai Lambert, as well as their three children, Dalton, Foster, and Quinn who are all terrorized by the entities in different ways. Other characters, such as Elise and Specs, offer the family help, in the form of astral projection and erudite knowledge of the supernatural entities, respectively.
These characters inhabit worlds full of unique and eerie scenarios. From demon-infested houses, to eerie dreamscapes, to mysterious other worlds, the Insidious movies offer a variety of scenarios for their characters and tales.
The Effects and Cinematography of the Insidious Movies
The Insidious movies also set themselves apart from other horror films due to their excellent cinematography and wide range of effects. Everything from the lighting in each scene to the intricately detailed set pieces gives the feeling that something sinister is always watching, be it in the shadows or in plain sight.
The use of Practical effects such as animatronics and prosthetics, and CGI, help to further enhance each creature featured in the movie, giving them a more lifelike quality to them that furthers their terror.
The Music of the Insidious Movies
The soundtracks for the movie are just as immersive as the visuals. Composer Joseph Bishara produces a chilling score of eerie melodies and droning strings that set the mood for any given scene. The soundtracks also feature unique pieces from various other composers from around the world, further diversifying the soundscape of each movie.
The Insidious movies have proved to be a significant horror franchise, thanks to their unique stories and characters, masterful cinematography and effects, and the chilling music that goes along with each movie. It is clear from the success of the franchise that the movies will remain a staple of the horror genre for some time to come.
