Insidious: Chapter 2 - A Masterclass in Horror
In the first film, Josh (Patrick Wilson) successfully retrieves his son from the spectral realm. However, he fails to find his own way back, and his body becomes inhabited by a malevolent entity. This spirit revels in the chance to experience life again and desires nothing more than to live as an ordinary person. But strange occurrences begin to plague the Lambert household once more, and those around Josh start to suspect that something is terribly wrong.
Two years separated the first and second films, as producer Jason Blum waited for director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell to return. He was determined to create the sequel only with their involvement.
Some critics once attributed the box office success of “Saw” to its brutal violence, even coining the term “torture porn.” However, James Wan cleverly shifted gears. Instead of capitalizing on that success with similar sequels, he launched a new franchise that was, in some ways, the antithesis of “Saw.” “Insidious” is also a horror film, but almost entirely “bloodless,” earning it a PG-13 rating and contributing to its impressive box office performance. “Insidious: Chapter 2” marks Wan’s departure from horror films to pursue other projects (his next venture was “Furious 7”). This film serves as a culmination of his experiences over a decade, from “Saw” to “Insidious: Chapter 2,” a thesis on “What I’ve Learned.”
The budget for “Insidious: Chapter 2” was more than three times the original film’s, but the sequel recouped its costs twice over on its opening day.
Wan’s Mastery of Horror
Wan has undeniably learned a great deal. Few in modern genre filmmaking demonstrate such confidence and awareness in their handling of scene composition, camera work, and sound. His mise-en-scènes are impeccably crafted, and even familiar tropes (like reflections in mirrors!) don’t feel tiresome in his hands. The seemingly mundane scenes where characters wander through the house are particularly effective. We see slightly more than they do, yet we’re led by the hand, constantly and relentlessly feeding off the characters’ fear. The jump scares, while necessary in this type of film, even serve as a form of release – a welcome end to the chilling anticipation.
A Complex and Compelling Narrative
It’s refreshing to see that Wan didn’t abandon the complex ending of the first film and continued the story from where it left off. The sequel’s script is more intricate, but it never feels overwhelming. The writers divided the characters into several groups, each with their own storyline. Some delve into Josh’s past, others attempt to summon the spirit of Elise (Lin Shaye), who died in the first film, and Josh’s wife (Rose Byrne) simply tries to maintain her sanity in a house that never seems to sleep. The narrative frequently shifts between these groups, and Wan achieves a remarkable effect – the plot never stagnates, but advances solely through “scary” scenes.
While none of these individual storylines are particularly original, “Insidious: Chapter 2” surpasses its predecessor. It’s more engaging, balanced, technically refined, and significantly scarier (and it lacks the ridiculous horned demons). In fact, this film could be used to write scathing manifestos against rating committees. There’s something deeply flawed in censors slapping adult R ratings on toothless horror films with a few graphic scenes, while giving a PG-13 rating to a horror film that avoids blood and gore but can easily leave even adults stuttering in fear.