Insidious : Chapter 2 is a total mess

The initial Insidious was one of the better mainstream horror films in years, a rollicking adrenaline ride than relied more on building tension than on out-and-out gore. That the film went on to gross over $100 Million means the inevitable push towards a franchise, which makes its initial pitch with Insidious: Chapter 2, a nearly incomprehensible continuation of the series.

The film opens literally minutes after the ending of the first, with Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) returning from the netherworld with his newly-rescued young son Dalton. However, something has piggy-backed along from the dark side, which spells even more trouble for the Lamberts, including Rose Byrne as the tormented mother.

With another new entity out to get the Lamberts, the film brings back the great supporting cast of the original, including Barbara Hershey as Josh’s mother, and even (in astral form) the medium Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), who was snuffed out in the first installment.

What follows is a convoluted checklist of horror tropes, including the requisite trek through an abandoned hospital, an untold number of doors than slam by themselves, and an apparition in white that continuously pops up to shriek in the faces of her victims-to-be.

Insidious: Chapter 2 is guilty of that most common horror sequel pitfall; the needless expanding of the villain’s mythos. As anyone who has had to suffer through Rob Zombie’s infuriating exploration of Michael Myers’ childhood pathos in the recent Halloween remakes can attest to, explaining a monster’s back story doesn’t necessarily make them any more interesting. Here, Wan not only expands the Lambert’s history, but shows it directly, by adding a time-traveling subplot to what was already a very full story.

If you haven’t seen the original Insidious, say, yesterday, than good luck understanding anything in this movie. The plot is simply stacked too deeply with a myriad of supernatural, time-traveling threats, including a subplot that may have LBGT-supporters up in arms, and an ending that essentially mirrors the last 20 minutes of The Shining.

Unfortunately, the final moments of the film clearly tease an additional installment of the franchise with an emphasis on an entirely new family, a cash-in that is likely to provide even further diminishing returns. Wan has stated that Insidious: Chapter 2 will be his last horror film, and after this bloated mess it isn’t hard to see why.