Insidious: Chapter 2: "Whatever It Was That Was Haunting Our Family, It's Not Done With Us"

Director: James Wan
Writer:    James Wan
               Leigh Whannell
Starring: Patrick Wilson
               Rose Byrne
               Lin Shaye
               Barbara Hershey
               Ty Simpkins
               Steve Coulter
               Leigh Whannell
               Angus Sampson
Rating:    ****

Release Date: 13/09/2013 

2 years after the original Insidious scared the living crap out of the world the terror is back; and is packing the scary punches and adrenaline filled thrills all over again. I have seen reading pretty average reviews from various websites and magazines for this sequel, reviews that I don't completely understand. Admittedly it's not as good as the first, but rarely sequels ever are, mainly because you know roughly what to expect, and this is even more apparent in horror films. However Insidious: Chapter 2 still managed to make me jump out of my skin and the plot kept me engaged.

Patrick Wilson & Rose Byrne

We are back following the Lambert family, and the film picks up exactly where it left off. The family are trying to recover from the events that have hap pend to them, and with Josh (Wilson) back from 'the other side' things seem to be looking up. That is until things take a steep downward turn, and the bumps in the night start to turn more violent. As their world gets turned upside down all over again, Renai (Byrne) is left to figure out how to stop it, all whilst trying to protect her unfortunate family.

It's clear that the plot isn't vastly different to the original, the big difference are a new spirit haunting them, and Elise (Shaye) is helping them from the other side. The one thing that hasn't changed is the annoying character of Renai. I love Rose Byrne, and her work in Bridesmaids was hilarious, but my word she is annoying in this film. Admittedly I have never been in a situation like this, and you quite possibly may react this way, but her shrill screams, and damsel in distress routine rally grated on me this time around. On the other hand, Patrick Wilson is superb in the darker role he gets to portray this time around, and is in fact the polar opposite to Byrne's shrill menace.

Lin Shaye

The scares start off slow, but soon start coming thick and fast, and you soon find yourself jerking in fear more often than you would probably like. I will happily admit that I watched the film with my fingers in my ears, whilst my friend screamed embarrassingly loud. And it is all down to the fantastic James Wan who at this stage in his career knows exactly how to build tension and scare his audience. He has created a world that you are able to immerse yourself in and feel like the ghosts are in the cinema with you. He has also written a fantastic script with Leigh Whannell, a script that is very similar to the first film, but it has enough twists and turns to make it feel fresh enough to the audiences.

Insidious: Chapter 2 is a superb build up to October, which everyone knows is the month for Horror films, and I am now fully prepared and ready to go for the chills that the likes of Paranormal Activity 5 and Curse of Chucky are going to spring on me (although I don't have massive hopes for the latter).

Insidious: Chapter 2 - Trailer