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Third Time's the Charm

"Insidious: Chapter 3" is the third film in the low-budget, surprise hit series, which was created by director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell. Whannell takes over directing duties - along with penning the script - for the third outing. By the time the third movie in any series rolls around, we expect for the franchise to have overstayed its welcome. Surprisingly, "Insidious: Chapter 3" is the strongest of the series.

The first two movies focused on the haunting of the Lambert family, played by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. The first movie had an eerie atmosphere to it but was really a lot of been there, done that. The second film was repetitive and languid, a waste of time and an effort to cash in on the first film's success (the first "Insidious" cost approximately $1.5 million to make and earned $97 million worldwide). "Insidious: Chapter 3" is nothing groundbreaking but within the scope of the series it dared to break free of the formula of the first two. There's something to be said about a third film trying to be different.

It also helps that Whannell builds tension and uses the atmosphere much more

effectively as a director than Wan. Wan has helmed several well-received horror films and thrillers but his "Insidious" films were all about waiting to the big conclusion, only sprinkling some obvious scares throughout. "Insidious: Chapter 3" isn't without its gimmicks - ceilings that creek and items that move without explanation - but he creates a genuine sense of terror throughout the entire movie instead of bombarding the audience at the end. It makes for a much more even viewing experience.

The third movie finds Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott, who has a natural screen prescense) reaching out to psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) to help her contact her mother, who passed away from cancer. When Quinn appears at Elise's doorstep, she has put her powers of contacting the other world to rest. She is sympathetic to Quinn's wishes and does her best to help her. After her initial visit with Elise, Quinn begins to notice things around her changing.  An evil supernatural being is awakened and takes over Quinn. Elise must become reconnected with her powers to help her.

The prequel gives veteran character actress Shaye much more room to shine this time around. In the first two movies, she was just the typical save-the-day character, who had to rid the house of the evil spirits. "Insidious: Chapter 3" gives us a chance to get to know Elise, her story and how she got the powers that she has. There is an effective balance of drama and thrills within the movie, which helps make it a more involving experience.

"Insidious: Chapter 3" isn't anything astonishingly new. We've seen the evil spirits/family drama portions of this movie before. Dermot Mulroney plays Quinn's father, who is struggling to be a single parent after the death of his wife. His involvement within this movie feels particularly familiar but it's how Whannell blends what could be two separate movies that makes it all work. He finds an even balance, while creating a few well-earned jump moments within the movie. I'm completely shocked it worked as well as it did.