Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

I am really starting to enjoy the Insidious franchise. I usually post reviews on letterboxd so this blog is outdated. I don't have a review for the first Insidious but I liked it. 

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) picks up directly after the first film. I wasn't fond of the twist right at the end of the film because it didn't have any implications for the wider story and there was no time left to explore what it meant. However, that final twist sets up the entire plot of the sequel. 

"Superior sense of smell my friend."

Everything feels like a natural continuation of itself. It's easy to understand where all the ghosts come from, why they do the things they do, and that makes the actions the family takes feel reasonable. It even goes back to connect directly with the first film in a really cool full circle sequence. 

Renai Lambert is expertly played by Rose Byrne. She has such a beautiful face for horror as her hair frames her cheeks in softer moments, making her seem like a regular strained mother. In intense scenes she drops her jaw and hollow her cheeks and her whole face stretches in a curdling scream while her bright eyes reflect all the light in the room. I adore her in this role and she adds something incredible to every scene she's in. 

Patrick Wilson definitely earns his 'Scream King' title in his role as Josh Lambert (the husband to Renai Lambert). He really rocks the possession thing and convincingly plays two separate people in the same body. His really knows how to hold his body to fill the space as an intimidating presence. 

"When I take you to my home in the dark, you'll realise how happy you should've been for your brief little moment in the sun."

More than anything, I adored the new environment. The house the family stays in for the duration of the film is gorgeous. The set designers did a really good job creating a home that looks vintage and cosy in the day but is disgustingly creepy at night. The red light seeping in from the windows gives the characters a demonic back light that really adds to the mood. 

Overall, a fantastic inclusion to the franchise. I honestly prefer it to the first film, but that's no surprise since I rarely prefer the original in anything.