Classic Movie Review: 'Insidious Chapter 3'

Insidious Chapter 3 (2015)

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Written by Leigh Whannell

Starring Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott

Release Date June 15th, 2015

Published July 10th, 2023

Insidious Chapter 3 is a vastly underrated entry in this terrific horror franchise. All of the Insidious movies have been pretty good but Chapter 3, with Leigh Whannell writing and directing is a low key brilliant horror movie. Whannell is a thoughtful, thorough, and detailed director and he brings that fully to bear on the trim, ingenious scares of Insidious Chapter 3. Stepping out of the shadow of his friend and partner James Wan, Whannell had a lot to live up and Insidious Chapter 3 was proof that he could hang with the best in the genre.

Insidious Chapter 3 is set several years prior the first Insidious film. The story finds our hero, Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye), a shell of the woman she was when we met her. It's the story of Elise finding herself again following the death of her husband and the threats made against her life by a demonic entity we will eventually come to know as 'The Black Bride." For now, however, Elise pads about in a housecoat and sleeps with her husband's cardigan in a scene so sad I can't stand thinking about it. Elise's stupor is interrupted by the arrival of young woman at her door.

Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) is desperate to speak with her late mother and she's been referred to Elise as someone who can communicate with the dead. Elise, at first, tries to turn the young woman away but soon relents. What she finds is that Quinn's forays into the world of the dead have communicated with someone, but it is most certainly not her mother. She warns Quinn not to continue contacting her mother but deep down, Elise knows that this vile entity is now attached to Quinn and she's in great danger.

Insidious Chapter 3 also gives us the origin of Elise's connection to Specks (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson). The duo is a pair of ghost hunters who have yet to encounter any actual ghosts. They do however, have advanced equipment that could, potentially, help them find one. Specks and Tucker are called by Quinn's father, Sean Brenner (Dermot Mulroney), at the behest of his son, who saw them on YouTube. Quinn, at this point, has undergone several inexplicable events that have endangered her life so even her skeptical father has to admit, something is going on.

That's when Elise returns, partners with Specks and Tucker, and the fight to save Quinn from The Further is on. Whannell's talent for pacing, clever ideas for scares, and atmosphere are on full display in Insidious Chapter 3. Whannell has a sense of wonder about his work that I really enjoy. He has a sort of awe for what his characters are doing which feels appropriate. Eventually, this will be a routine for them, but this is their first adventure together and their chemistry is immediately apparent.

The evil entity in Insidious Chapter 3 has a terrific look, it's an elderly serial killer who wants Quinn's body to allow him to return to the living and let him get back to killing. The terror of aging combines with the terror of this horrible man's past to create a terrifying horror villain of strong motivation and horrific presentation. Whannell adds an element of Hitchcockian terror to the proceedings after the entity leads Quinn to being hit by a car, breaking both of her legs, and leaving her vulnerable and not unlike Jimmy Stewart's vigilant, endangered main character in Rear Window. It's a modest homage that perfectly suits the story of Insidious Chapter 3.

Insidious Chapter 3 is every bit as exciting and frightening as the terrific first two entries in the franchise. Whannell has exceptional command over the story he wants to tell and the balance between lore and new layers of storytelling. He's true to the characters we've come to know while building on that as a foundation to fill out these terrific characters. Stepping away from the Lambert family story was a risky proposition, considering the incredible success of Insidious Chapter 2, but Whannell made it work brilliantly.

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