The Lambert family is back, this time with daddyissues. The Insidious sequel starts right where the first film left off, after Dalton’s father Josh (Patrick Wilson) reclaimed his astral projection abilities and plunged into The Further to save his son (Ty Simpkins). This time, in an effort to move the plot further and cash in on a sequel, it’s Josh that’s possessed.
Though Josh’s wife Renai (Rose Byrne) is given substantive evidence that a spirit has taken over her husband’s body—even the paranormal investigator has been murdered—Josh easily convinces her of his innocence in a ridiculous turn of plot. Insidious 2 wastes no time jumping into all the original film’s former glory, subtly hiding a ghost in a white gown on the edge of the screen, unknown to the characters until she unexpectedly sucker punches Renai.
The sequel suffers from random plot holes that leave the viewer confused as to how characters always escape near-death experiences and why one person can have two spirits in The Further. Still, the creators seemed to have earnestly listened to the first film’s critiques and addressed them in the second. There are less awkward, stilted scenes in between the action, and the comedic relief provided by Elise’s two derpy sidekicks is more fluidly woven into the plot.
Insidious 2 nearly avoided laughable clichés with Elise’s death at the end of the first movie. However, when the Lambert family and its team of investigators realizes that Josh is possessed by a spirit not his own, the original paranormal detective is contacted by a medium to give them guidance from the beyond.
Perhaps the film’s most redeeming qualities flow from its ability to stand on its own. Foster (Andrew Astor), the younger brother, constructs a can and string phone in order to goof off with Dalton after bedtime. Constantly bothering troubled Dalton with the communication device proves comedic until the half-asleep Dalton realizes that the other receiver is in the closet, not with Foster. This iconic scene shows that the writers still have new tricks to throw at the audience. In fact, though the film over-utilizes stale tactics like creaking doors to scare viewers, the fear invoked through the plot remains original, unlike the typical modern horror film.
Though Insidious continues to be plagued by bad acting, its climax helps redeem it. Forced to physically fight the possessed Josh, Renai is nearly choked to death until the film’s best actor, Ty Simpkins, saves her by being the bad-ass kid he’s grown to be since the first film.
Beginning like The Exorcist and ending like The Shining, Insidious 2 invokes the atmosphere of a classic horror film. It may not go down as the best horror flick of all time, but fans of the first film won’t be let down by the second. And they needn’t worry about the Insidious series stopping either—Elise makes so many come backs, she might as well hop on the Mystery Machine.
