As I've probably mentioned previously, WOS enjoys horror movies. Really enjoys them. Since we've been together, I've seen more horror movies than I had even HEARD of in the 30+ years of my life to that point. Now, I myself am not as much of a fan of the genre, my tastes running more to mindless action and hoity-toity "art films." I have trouble differentiating one grade-B horror flick from another, and when WOS assures me that I HAVE seen, for example, "Hellraiser 9" (seriously), I just take her word for it and nod appeasingly. Still, every once in a while, one of these movies stands out for one reason or another, penetrating my generally resistant consciousness. One such movie is "Insidious" (2010).
"Insidious," directed by James Wan, tells the story of Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) Lambert, who have recently moved in an attempt to escape a haunted house. Unfortunately, they quickly find out that the thing that was haunted was not so much the house as the people who lived there, i.e., the Lamberts. The movie functions in many ways as an updated "Poltergeist," as the Lamberts soon turn to quirky "psychic detective" types to help them root out the evil spirits.
What I think makes "Insidious" work better than most of its generic peers is a certain subtlety. There is very little outright violence in the film, and essentially no gore. The evil spirits don't jump out at you so much as they loom menacingly in the background. Instead of snarling, they as often as not smile hideously, inhumanly, which is far more frightening.
"Insidious" is available on Netflix instant-watch, so, if you're in the mood for a fun little horror flick, check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment