Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) - Whannell and Wan's deflated tormented family sequel

♥♥

 

A toddler interacting with something unseen in the pitch dark is a scary motif on this poster for James Wan's Insidious: Chapter 2

 

Josh, Renai and their two sons move again following the traumatic events of Insidious (2010). But Renai experiences that the ghosts move with them, while Josh vehemently rejects this...

 

Insidious: Chapter 2 is written by co-writer/actor Leigh Whannell (Dead Silence (2007)) with co-writer/director, great Malaysian-born American filmmaker James Wan (Stygian (1998)), contributing story elements. It is the 2nd film in the Whannell/Wan Insidious franchise.

The sequel to the highly effective horror shocker seems like it was thrown together too quickly. Despite parts of it being technically impressive, it isn't very scary as such, and Rose Byrne's (Annie (2014)) Renai's experiences are so alike to the character's in the first film that it becomes somewhat involuntarily funny. Patrick Wilson (Aquaman (2018)) channels Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson's legendary performance of that character in The Shining (1980)) and does well, but the plot is too complex, crowded with dimensions, characters and time travels. Another issue is that the film's inexplicably evil transvestite ghost doesn't measure up to the nightmarish devil from the original film.

Related posts:

James Wan: 2018 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

Aquaman (2018) - Wan delivers a majorly satisfying, gung ho action-adventure splash
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Wan's sequel is a long horror treat with terrifying periods
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
The Conjuring (2013) - Best horror film in 7 years 

Top 10: Best ghost horror movies  
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Insidious (2010) - Wan's thrilling, scary ghost horror

Top 10: Best first-of-franchise movies 
Saw III (2006) - Good performances in Bousman's grisly third trappings (story contributor)

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Saw (2004) - Wan and Whannell's landmark horror beast 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 161.9 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 32.38 times its cost)

[Insidious: Chapter 2 was released 13 September (North America, UK, Ireland) and runs 106 minutes. Shooting took place in 25 days from January - March 2013 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 40.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#2), grossing 83.5 mil. $ (51.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 11.5 mil. $ (7.1 %) and Russia with 9.9 mil. $ (6.1 %). The franchise returned with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), written and directed by Whannell with new stars. Wan returned with Furious 7 (2015). Wilson returned in Jack Strong (2014); Byrne in Neighbors (2014). Insidious: Chapter 2 is rotten at 39 % with a 4.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Insidious: Chapter 2?