Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) User Reviews

Disappointing but not awful

[thatlaurafitzgerald · 6/10 · 18 June 2015]

Not a terrible movie by any stretch of the imagination, but sadly nowhere near the standard of the first two Insidious movies. I found the characters pretty flat and uninteresting and the story less imaginative than the previous installments.

That said, as a stand alone it's not a bad horror film, especially considering it was a first attempt at directing by the guy who usually does the screenplay. I will admit to jumping out of my seat on more than one occasion whilst watching. It certainly doesn't lack in scares, what it does lack is depth, there isn't enough going on between the "jumps". By all means, go and see this film, just don't expect it to match the brilliance of the first two.

The Same Formula Rekindled

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 21 September 2015]

The teenager Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) visits the medium Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) expecting to contact her mother Lillith (Ele Keats). Quinn explains that she tried to contact her mother alone, but Elise refuses to help her. Soon Quinn is haunted by the fiend of The Man Who Can't Breathe (Michael Reid MacKay) in her room but her skeptical father Sean Brenner (Dermot Mulroney) does not believe in her words. However, when Quinn is violently attacked by the evil spirit, Sean asks Elise to help his daughter. Elise tries, but she is attacked by the Bride In Black (Tom Fitzpatrick) that wants to kill her and she refuses to continue. The desperate Sean is convinced by his son Alex (Tate Berney) to contacts the charlatans Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell) that have a blog relating their supernatural experiences while Elise meets her friend Carl (Steve Coulter) that convinces her to help Quinn. Can the teenager be saved from the possession of the evil spirit?

"Insidious: Chapter 3" is a horror film and prequel of "Insidious" that uses the same successful formula rekindled. The performances are convincing and the storyline is well written. The astral projection of Elise is scary and the viewer will certainly startle many times. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sobrenatural: A Origem" ("Supernatural: The Origin")

A surprisingly sentimental horror film..

[kieranbattams · 7/10 · 10 June 2015]

I am going to be completely honest with you guys, I have never seen Insidious or its sequel. I saw this film today because i needed to pass some time and i couldn't be bothered to wait an extra half an hour to see San Andreas. I've heard that the others in the series are good films but i am not a huge fan of modern horror and prefer the 70s/80s vibe that we got with It Follows. Insidious Chapter 3 doesn't have that vibe, but it is still a lot better than most modern horror today and i found enjoyment out of it. I was also pleased that this film was a prequel because i had no trouble following the plot.

Going straight into it, the film follows a young girl called Quinn who is trying to reconnect to her deceased mother and visits a retired psychic. The encounter however leaves her with something else, instead of her mother trying to contact her like she first thought, something much more sinister approaches her and with the help from her father, the psychic and for some reason a couple of ghost hunters from the internet (really?!) They try to rid the evil from her. It sounds pretty basic and for the most part it is, but when it all wraps up the story between Quinn and her mother is surprisingly sentimental for a horror film and leaves quite an impact afterwards which is something i don't experience much with horror. This is a concept that an earlier horror film this year, The Woman In Black: Angel of Death, had the potential to do but ultimately failed. The way it is executed here is much better and that was really nice to see because it could have easily been another crappy modern horror prequel like Annabelle.

As for the horror itself? I can safely say it is one of the scariest horrors I've seen for a while. Like i mentioned, i'm not sure how scary the others are but this one will have anyone feeling unsettled at points and even made me jump out of my seat a few times, which was good because jump scares rarely have that effect on me. I think it worked with Insidious Chapter 3 because of the tense feel throughout and the fact that it doesn't throw one at you every couple of minutes that go by. It took a little bit of time for the movie to actually become interesting, but when it did it was enough to keep me entertained for the duration, which was all i wanted to be honest. I don't know any of the cast members from anything prior to this, but they were pretty 50/50 to me. The actresses who play Quinn and the psychic were very good whereas the father and the two ghost hunters were kinda awkward to watch. Was that enough to make this a bad movie? No, because it was not one.

all-in-all Insidious chapter 3 is an entertaining and tense film which is the right blend of jump scares and atmosphere, still not my favourite horror of the year (that goes to It Follows) but i enjoyed it more than Unfriended and The Woman in Black and liked the emotional twist it gave us. My biggest complaint is the cop-out ending. I don't know why horror films these days insist on having an ending where a mysterious figure pops up at you and screams because it doesn't look good it feels tacky and takes the atmosphere away from the film which is the number one complaint i have for Unfriended. But it didn't completely ruin the film for me and i think if i had seen the others i would understand what was happening so maybe i don't like it here for that reason. It kept me intrigued and made me want to watch the previous two, which is perfect being a prequel and all, so that is just what i will do.

Another fine entry into the franchise that keeps giving

[eddie_baggins · 6/10 · 26 November 2015]

In lots of ways Insidious is one of the most unlikely franchise's existing today and unlike many of its other horror franchise counterparts it really is the film series that could, for over three films now Insidious has managed to be both profitable and also most importantly highly watchable and more than a little bit creepy.

The first two Insidious tales saw Saw co-creators and Australia's unsung Hollywood hero's James Wan and Leigh Whannell deliver some otherworldly chills without resorting to OTT violence or gore splatter that has sadly been a staple of modern day horror films that think the more blood spilled the more effective the film will be and with this third entry to the franchise Leigh Whannell takes over directing duties from his now box office superstar buddy Wan which sees him do a more than admirable job.

A long time player in the modern horror scene, Whannell surely knows a thing or two about what freaks us movie goers out and where the first Insidious scared us with its white faced man and then the second got us with its red faced demon, here in the third chapter which is in fact a prequel of sorts to the events of what has transpired before, Whannell creates a figure almost as scary as Jigsaw himself with the "Man that can't breathe". A horrible and off putting creation this figure is a large part of the reason why this entry into the series keeps the chills coming and while Whannell relies on the jump scare and silent soundtrack situation quite a lot to make Insidious scary, there's little denying there's more ingenuity here than most other low budgeted horror flicks.

There's also a surprising amount of heart thrown into the mix here and while it may come off as cheesy and sap-filled, it's nice for a film of this ilk to throw some emotional resonance into an otherwise highly unrealistic scenario of possessed teens and ghost worlds.

While the dialogue can sometimes fall flat and Whannell and Angus Sampson's comical ghost hunters that played large parts in the first films still feel a little out of place, Insidious 3 is a highly watchable and often highly effective piece of horror filmmaking that never tries to outstretch its reach.

After three solid films it feels as though the makers of Insidious know exactly what their films are and what they aren't and we as an audience can be thankful for that and now can look forward to what Whannell and his team have in store for us when chapter 4 hopefully eventuates.

3 footprints out of 5

Acceptable prequel about paranormal phenomena at an old house haunted by strange spirits

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 26 February 2019]

¨Insidious 3¨,by Leigh Whannell himself , both , actor and filmmaker , making for a choice that many genre fans should love with actors as Dermot Mulroney , Lin Shaye starring in . This is a creepy , rare , bizarre , terrifying movie in which keeps it horror with yet another haunted house film . Supernatural horror plenty of weird phenomenon , frights , creepy beings , shocks , and eerie events .A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family that reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead and to resolve a ghastly mystery in order to help an adolescent girl (Stefanie Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity. After investigating the house and encountering paranormal phenomena , then appearing the usual ghost hunters Specs (Leigh Whannell , also screenwriter, and filmmaker) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) . They seek to uncover the mysterious secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world . Little do they know that the house is haunted . The family looks to prevent evil spirits from a realm called The Further .This is how you die .The darkest chapter goes back to the beginning.

Insidious: Chapter 3 results to be an adequate and passable prequel , but inferior than former chapters , being filled ,with scary deeds , thrills , chills and lots of scares . This is a haunted movie that contains restless horror as when the invisible and threatening beings attack . Tension , creepy atmosphere , genuine chills , suspense is continued and appear lurking and menacing into dining room , hallway , and rooms . Great loads of screams , shocks , exploitation and terror abound with the usual poltergeists phenomenon caused by the weird entities . It's recreated with magnificent make-up and high grade plethora special effects which are frightening and horrifying the spectator . Writer Leigh Whannell stated at the Toronto Film Festival that when he wrote the film he had a list of horror movie clichés posted above him, so he could avoid using them ; he said the first one was to make sure the family moved into a new house once the haunting started . Eerie musical score by Joseph Bishara creating a spooky atmosphere. Dark as well atmospheric cinematography by Brian Pearson ; a majority of the film was shot in South Broadway, Downtown,Whitley Ave Los Angeles, (Street scenes) California, USA (The Building, main location) anmd Ave 53, Los Angeles, California, USA Los Angeles, California (Elise Rainier's House) ,

Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions, which produced both Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2 finance this installment along with Oren Peli and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones , Charles Layton , John R. Leonetti , Peter Schlessel, Lia Buman and Entertainment One's Xavier Marchand are exec producing . The film was well directed by Leigh Whannell . Being Leigh Whannell's directorial debut and he even has an important role as ghost specialist . Leigh Whannell teamed up with James Wan and he told him that if they wanted to get a film made, they would have to pay for it themselves. Saw (2004) was born. After nine months of writing, Leigh had written the screenplay for what he thought would be a self-financed, "Blair Witch"-style feature, with him starring and James directing. The script gained so much attention that soon enough, they were shopping it around Hollywood . Subsequently , they wrote and directed the ¨Insidious ¨saga . This Insidious 3 takes place in 2007. Insidious (2010) and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) take place in 2010. Leigh is an expert writer , actor and filmmaker on terror genre as he has demonstrated in ¨Saw¨ saga , and the Sci-Fi ¨Upgrade¨, among others . And of course , his biggest success ¨Insidious¨ (2010) with Patrick Wilson , Rose Byrne , Ty Simpkins , Lin Shaye , Barbara Hershey . It was followed by ¨Insidious Chapter 2¨ (2013) with Patrick Wilson ,Rose Byrne , Lin Shaye a Elise Rainier , Barbara Hershey as Lorraine Lambert and Steve Coulter . Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson were the only actors to appear in all three "Insidious" films. rating . 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable .

A horror prequel that works as a standalone film

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 27 November 2019]

Teenager Quinn Brenner has tried to contact her late mother on her own and then she goes to see medium Elise Rainier. Elise tells her she is retired but is persuaded to help; instead of contacting Quinn's mother she senses a malevolent presence. She advises Quinn to not attempt to contact her mother again. Shortly afterwards Quinn is involved in a serious accident which requires her to have both legs set in plaster while she recovers. When she return homes see starts seeing a shadowy man wearing an oxygen mask. After a number of increasingly frightening events her father goes to Elise to get help. Things don't go too well so Quinn's brother suggests contacting Specs and Tucker, a pair of internet ghostbusters.

This film is set some time before the events of the previous films and doesn't really require any knowledge of those films. That said there are a few elements that are more fun if you have some knowledge of the characters. It adds good backstory and shows how Elise came to work with unlikely associates Specs and Tucker. The story provides plenty of scares; some are just the usual jump scares but there is also an impressively pervasive creepiness much of the time. As with the previous films it manages to eschew gore and any real nastiness. The cast is solid enough; most notably Lin Shaye who makes a welcome return as Elise. Overall I wouldn't say this was a must see but if you are a fan of the genre it is more than good enough.

A pleasant surprise

[sea_angel-75127 · 8/10 · 5 June 2015]

I walked in with zero expectations and ended up being very pleasantly surprised. This movie was fun, well crafted and extremely entertaining. Being a big fan of the franchise (and of the genre)I was very happy with how this prequel explored the backstory of the psychic/medium and her future "helpers". The effects were great, the different ghosts/spirits/ entities were all different in their background and aspects. The plot was well developed and the jump-scares were well placed. There is no "repetition" from the previous two movies so this movie gained in originality.

You will not be disappointed.

Very fun ride!

NB: look for two thrilling cameos!!

Flaws from the past might still haunt Insidious, but this chapter of the old clairvoyant and new tormented souls proves to be adequately as well as intimately harrowing.

[quincytheodore · 7/10 · 2 June 2015]

A scare is much like a joke, tell it too many times and it will lose its charm. The third chapter of Insidious aim to repeat the success of the original with new characters and old proved methods of distributing chill. It has different atmosphere than previous rural haunting plus screeching hymn, which is a nice change of pace. At times it might revert back to repetitive gimmicks, but ultimately the capable cast led by Lin Shaye as they witness the perilous yet private story of a haunted girl manage to fright and fascinate.

Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) is saddened by the loss of her mother. Out of desperation she seeks Elise (Lin Shaye) to make unworldly contact. Elise is reluctant to help the troubled girl as she is distraught by her own problems. Though unwilling she still senses that an entity follows Quinn, but it is the farthest thing from her mother. While this premise is similar to The Conjuring, or others of the genre, it still works simply because the characters in predicament are likable.

Lin Shaye is very good on drawing sympathy, she looks fragile yet her on-screen compassionate nature is infectious. She also has a way to convey dread as a sort of more neighborly psychic instead of outright doomsayer. The new cast of Brenner family is also presentable. Stefanie Scott as Quinn is believable as an ordinary teen girl, with her typical girl issues and aspirations. The way she might seem plain, not a scream queen, is actually a boon to the movie as she's so much more relatable.

Dermot Mulroney as Sean, Quinn's father is a great choice. He appears convincing as a father, especially as a single parent who must deal with raising two kids and now the addition of invasive entity. The chemistry between the two as father-daughter is solid, while other supporting characters build up the suspense or deliver a glint of humor between the dark days.

It all comes down to the how horrifying this third chapter is. The set-up for horror is exceptionally done for the majority of the film, at several scenes it has some clever ways or perspectives to raise the thrill. However, it's still plagued by the same flaws of the franchise, such as resorting to screaming jump scares or it might lose steam as it goes further like the original. These rehearsed stuffs are admittedly have worn out their welcome, whether they persistently linger of not.

What really nails the horror is the victim, Quinn, as she is gradually gnawed by this malicious existence. In an analogy of a young woman abused, both physically and emotionally, she is shown of losing herself bits by bits. It has a bit of oriental touch as some scenes reminded me of Japanese thriller, and they work very well in tandem with confident acting of the cast. It's much easier to invest to their ordeal as it looks so personal.

Before the story Lambert family, there is a tale of breathlessly unfortunate lady. Familiar her story may be though the private display of her trial is suitably eerie.

Tossed salad cream

[begob · 4/10 · 21 June 2015]

Obscure story - girl gets haunted because ... her ghosts need to be dispelled?

The first hour is impressive. As always with this series, the sound is excellent (although the shrieking-witch violins are held back to the end credits), and there's an effective jump scare at 30 mins + at 50 mins a really well lamp-lit journey in the after-world. And it's good to see Lyn Shane carrying a film.

So the whole thing is nicely set up - maybe an allegory for a father's grief over his daughter's suicidal tendency - and then ... they introduce the ghost busters team and ruin the whole effect. Also the rest of the jump scares are lame. Pfff. And the father has no real character. And James Wan is part of the cast - the director in the theatre.

The tone changes so radically in the final act that you have to think the producers reduced the plot to a marketing vehicle so they could plan for the next sequel.

Absolutely fantastic! Awesome prequel to a great franchise

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 6 June 2015]

It's scary & creepy like a good ghost story should be. Makes me want to sleep with the lights on. At the same time, it was funny.

Fully making Insidious a franchise, chapter 3 tells the story of how the ghost hunters that connect all three movies first started working together, but don't worry, their origin story is only a small side subject to the haunting of a young girl who made the mistake of trying to contact her mom by herself and ended up attracting the attention of a much darker spirit. Barbra Hersey's character's origin does get a little more light shined on it when helping the girl exposes demons of her own.

It was all around a fantastic play on the Ghost story. The team in Insidious have almost become this generation's Ghostbusters without trying to. The film is suppose to be a horror story, yet when the three ghost hunters start working together it really lightens up the mood.

Insidious is good for a genuine scare, followed by some good laughs. Plus, it has some scenes that are so creepy it makes you giggle uncomfortably.

Yeah, it's a must see.

Though not better than its' predecessor, "Insidious: Chapter 3" earns its' own right as a standalone movie with some emotional undercurrents.

[kshirad · 4 June 2015]

The "Insidious" franchise has gone through some lengths to rejuvenate old-fashioned spook. The first movie was a surprise hit, giving the audience back their interests in horror movies to come. The second one worked sporadically with critics but still kept audiences wanting for more. And now, here comes another sequel (I meant prequel). Will it pay off? Maybe.

Quinn Renner (Scott) is a young woman seeking a clairvoyant to contact her deceased mother. She calls up to Elise Rainer (Shaye), who informs her that she may have been contacted with an evil spirit who will take her soul. Slowly, Quinn starts to have scary occurrences. And it's up to Elise if she can help her or not.

From the first scene, I can sense something different this movie will be heading. Even though there's jump scares aplenty, most of them doesn't pack a punch like its' previous movies. But, Whannell has a way to orchestrate frightening and rich atmosphere, that almost cover all the flaws.

Back to that something different, it is the emotional undercurrent that stood out, talking about grief and coping from it, while limited. It is something the first two didn't really tell.

The actors and actresses has done a great job. But, the real thing is Lin Shaye. She is a revelation. Her range as an actress can be seen solely from this movie. She makes you root for her, care for her, even laugh with her. When the movie starts to fumble, she holds it from falling apart, avoiding clichés and conventionality. A plus one for that than just being a good film.

If you're looking for the same intensity from the first two, you'll most likely will be disappointed. But, if you're looking for not just the scares, you'll get something more than most horror movies.

7/10... bumped up to 8/10 for Lin Shaye.

An Effective Horror With Very Little Gore

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 9 June 2015]

I hadn't seen the first two films in the INSIDIOUS franchise but this didn't seem to matter because the third film is a prequel and apparently a self contained one so have watched and judged it on its own merits

There's not a lot of originality going on here . A supernatural thriller featuring a demon of sorts haunting a house or specifically terrifying a young teenage girl . Call for a psychic and some paranormal investigators and see what they uncover . You've see this before slightly redressed a few times but to be fair what INSIDIOUS CHAPTER THREE does it does very efficiently . It's nice to see a horror film in 2015 that doesn't feature a zombie apocalypse filmed guerrilla style or out and out torture porn . There is an old fashioned clichéd feel to this movie and that isn't meant in any way negatively . It's the old technique of filming something in almost total darkness , the soundtrack is silent , and silent and silent and BANG something not of this world shoots in to frame and blaring or creepy music shatters the silence and the audience including the member writing this jump out of their seat . It also helps if the heroine has had a nasty accident and her legs are in plaster meaning it's going to be very difficult to make a fast getaway if a faceless horror creeps in to her bedroom

Perhaps not a masterwork or ground breaking piece of horror but what INSIDIOUS CHAPTER THREE does it succeeds in doing very well as a Friday night multiplex horror film . Perhaps the best compliment I can I can pay it that despite suffering from a lack of originality parts of it did remind me of the original POLTERGIEST from 1982 which backhanded or not is still quite a compliment

Not So Scary but Great Performance from Lin Shaye

[captainmike-michael · 7/10 · 6 June 2015]

Taken over by writer Leigh Whannell to direct the franchise, the theme does not divert too much from the previous two sequels, maintaining the usual plot development that James Wan did previously except a little bit surprising easy solution final act. Composer Joseph Bishara returns with his usual eerie, loud, noisy and irritating scores that help to boost the scare and the spooky effects, though not as terrifying as Conjuring and Insidious, it is still consider passable for its PG-13 ratings. Even though the performances from other casts are not really up to expectation, characters development are still fine while Lin Shaye's outstanding portrayal as Elise has given her sufficient room to be the lead role. It might not offer any fresh ideas to the franchise, but this warm-hearted frightening chapter stressing on the note of love and loss owns its moment that is not found in previous installments.

Not the best Insidious, but still a lot of fun with great characters.

[threenails10 · 7/10 · 4 June 2015]

I'll admit that, I was expecting a lot more from Leigh Whannell's directorial debut after various genius scripts he has written in this genre (Saw I, II & iii, Dead Silence, and the first 2 Insidious Chapters) That being said, he has a lot of work to do in the director's chair still, but this was still a decent effort in this now trilogy. I would be lying though if I said this movie didn't terrify me at times, and it did admirably and even had me laughing at those moments too at times which worked well in this story and helped lighten it's mood among the dread at hand here. There are likable characters in this tale and mostly new ones as well as ones who have been with us since the first instalment. All that being said there, this is one that was made for the fans of the first ones, I believe even if it doesn't hold a candle to the brilliance of the first chapter still. Newcomer, Stefanie Scott, plays the lead character "Quinn Brenner" quite well actually and surprisingly doesn't play an average dumb teen here, but one with book smarts and a backbone, I haven't seen in most characters this age in these genre films. Some of what happens to certain characters or character do come into question by the end titles but this doesn't take away from this fun time at the movies and this was a thrilling ride, I'd recommend strictly to the fans of the other Insidious chapters or just horror junkies alike.

Jumpscares are not horror

[gategate-paragate · 1/10 · 5 March 2018]

When a friend sneaks up behind you and pops a balloon in your ear, is that horror? Of course not. It will likely leave you irritated, and that's exactly what this movie does. There are no decent horror elements to this movie, just constant cheap jumpscares that rely primarily on audio. Imagine watching shrek and at random points the audio jumps to 200%. Startling but not scary, and it's the same with this movie. Do it enough, and is it surprising people would leave during the movie? It doesn't mean the movie is scary. By the midpoint I stopped caring about the plot, the characters, and struggled through to avoid that restlessness that comes from leaving a movie unfinished.

Suspense and horror that I haven't experienced in a very long time

[randymcbeast · 9/10 · 21 June 2015]

I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through this movie. It brought me back to when I first watched The Exorcist as a young boy.

I'm actually quite surprised at the low rating here though. Perhaps I thought it was brilliant because I really had no idea what the movie was about before watching it. I tend to avoid all previews and articles prior to watching movies so I go in fresh without any clues on what's coming. That behavior may have served me well with this one.

Honestly speaking, I jumped out of my chair a few times and even more satisfying, I experienced a few prolonged bouts of sustained horror. I sat there in total fear at what was transpiring right in front of me which I absolutely loved.

What an incredible surprise of a film and I'm still buzzing as I write this review. Job very well done. I can't remember the last time a horror film had such an effect on me. Bravo!

Insidious for teenagers.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 10 September 2018]

I enjoyed the original Insidious. Part 2 not so much. But what I did like about both was that they didn't revolve around a teen protagonist, like so many horror movies.

Insidious 3, on the other hand, does just that, presumably to appeal to the lucrative teen market, and it's all the worse for it, with a pretty but otherwise unremarkable lead in Stefanie Scott, and lots of mechanical scares (despite director Leigh Whannell's insistence to the contrary, claiming that he has stripped the franchise back to basics and concentrated on suspense and atmosphere).

The predictable plot goes something like this: teenager Quinn Brenner (Scott) contacts psychic Elise (Lin Shaye) after her own failed attempts to contact her dead mother. When it becomes apparent that Quinn has attracted the attention of a malevolent demon, Elise is called in to help, along with ghost hunters Specs and Tucker (Whannell and Angus Sampson).

Shadowy figures lurking in the background; unexplained noises; gnarly hands reaching from the darkness; and Elise head-butting the Bride in Black: it's all very predictable and occasionally laughably stupid.

More of a thriller than horror

[princeddviru · 7/10 · 8 June 2015]

Yes, this is the best chapter till now...but it won't scare you a lot. It has a great story and some soulful performances....the best part is you don't have to see too many "dark souls" flying around like the other chapters... It fulfills the promises made..the journey to the beginning was great but i would have liked to see some more of it...anyways let's not go that far. This film is better than some terrible films made in the past two years under the "horror" category..and it has emotions is well.. This films is definitely the one i would spend my pocket money on... Overall verdict: 6/10 BUT I give +1 for Lin Shaye for her graceful Elise..She is flawless..so overall 7/10 for this chapter.

Perfectly Fine for a prequel.

[itsdways · 6/10 · 19 September 2015]

It's totally logical for this movie to have such a low IMDb ratings than other Insidious Movie. People expected more from the previous movies that they have seen in this series, but as it was a prequel its perfectly understood and this part clears a whole lot of things about the series, some was still not clear about the other family that we saw in earlier may be they will link that up in the next movie, My conclusion is this was average for a prequel it could have been much better because there could have been so much more to show in a prequel the story line could have been much more intense and revealing much more hidden stories but they did a fine job but its way low than the earlier insidious movies.

3rd place goes to Insidious 3

[stuart-hill · 6/10 · 11 June 2015]

Best horror/supernatural franchise ever is Insidious, it seems though that I am one of the few who puts Insidious 3 in 3rd place behind Insidious 2 (1st place) and Insidious (2nd place) - Whilst Insidious 3 isn't bad, you can tell that James Wan did not direct it, the film for me had a different feeling to it altogether even though 6 of the characters are recurring (Black bride / Lipstick Demon / Specs / Tucker / Karl / Elise), it is almost de-realised, looks familiar but doesn't feel it.

I felt too that Leigh Wannell as the writer/directer left it too long to get Specs and Tucker involved, whilst Lin Shea is a gem of the franchise, Specs and Tucker cleverly provide an almost comedic aspect without it being cheesy, to make the storyline more interesting they needed to be in as much as 20 mins earlier.

Definitely worth watching if you are a fan, certainly darker than the other two as people have said but I won't be rushing to buy this on DVD when it comes out as I did for the first two installments

Scary

[andreascaloni · 8/10 · 19 February 2021]

Insidious 3 is the new chapter of the terrifying horror series, written and directed by Leigh Whannell. This prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family, reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity. The movie wants to terrify you and make your heart beat fast; it does that really effectively with several serious jumps. Shame about a scene near the end that is too exaggerated. However Insidious Chapter 3 does a great job and it is the most dark, and creepy instalment of the series.

Rating: 7,8.

Pretty scary!

[hoxjennifer · 6/10 · 18 July 2015]

I'm not one to be scared by horror movies, but it's something about possession/devil/evil spirit movies that really get to me. It's not the movie itself that's scary, it's thinking about it after that freaks you out.

Insidious, unlike some other horror movies I've been watching recently **ahem Poltergeist ahem**, has some believable characters that one can actually relate to. Quinn Brenner, the protagonist, seeks out the talented psychic Elise Rainier in order to make contact with her mother, who passed away from cancer. She needs her guidance especially as she is auditioning to go to acting school and struggling with tense relations with her father and her practically lethargic younger brother. Things get out of hand when other spirits hear her and attach themselves to her...

Insidious 3 is well done overall. I would give it a higher rating, except for there are some really silly moments in this film that take away from the more serious and scary tone that make you laugh with how incredulous it is. (Mostly when Elise is fighting spirits away - it just feels like the directors gave up on those scenes). A decently scary movie.

Getting to know them

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 3 August 2015]

It might say "Chapter 3" in the title, but it's actually a prequel. This still is fun to watch even if you know the other entries into the series. By now you know what to expect from a movie called "Insidious". And those expectations won't remain unfulfilled. So I (and according to the voting a lot of others) do not think this has jumped the shark yet. That doesn't mean, there should be many more of these. Maybe one more to end on a high note would be my suggestion.

Introducing characters you (hopefully loved) later on is really neat. You also get the D. Mulroney in his first "real" horror movie. And he's doing a great job. The script is really solid too, not only for a horror movie. The pace is slow, but you know that by now, unless you do start with this one. That'd be interesting to do also, watch it chronologically correct.

Passable sequel. Don't expect greatness.

[scorpion-233 · 6/10 · 30 June 2015]

I'll start this review off by saying that if you have liked the previous films in this franchise, you will like this one.

Now, the first Insidious is one of my favorite horror films of the past decade, maybe more. It wasn't in your face scary, it treated the viewer with respect and was made with just that, respect. It had some scares in it that weren't noticeable until a second viewing. That is admirable. Very admirable.

This one doesn't do that, for the most part. When a scare is coming, you KNOW it's coming. Where's the scare then? Well, it's there but unless you're mindless, it won't do too much for you. The movie was also slow... I mean, SLOW. So much so that when you get to the good stuff, it almost feels as if it was a tease because it's over because you can get too into it. I admit, there ARE some good things in this movie, which is why I'm giving it the score I am. I just can't help but point out the flaws looking at it from a critical standpoint.

The acting from the dad was bad. Just flat out bad. The main character, Quinn, was rather likable and made the viewing go by a little smoother. Although I do feel as though Elise, Specs and Tucker kind of just rammed into each other and they just decided to call it a team up.

To summarize, this movie is as expected OVERALL from the franchise seeing as they now seem like a mindless horror jump scare fest. This series will never go back to being as great as the first, and you have to accept that if you want to have a little bit of fun with it. With all my complaints, I still had a little fun and felt it was worth a watch, even if it's a one and done.

6/10.

Fun action with a few chilling scares.

[rickfletcher28 · 7/10 · 5 June 2015]

It was my first Insidious movie and my date tried telling me the premise of the first two but I told her to just let me watch it and enjoy. She was a lot more frightened by the scares in it than I was. There we're however a few chilling parts that made me jump, but it's hard to tell if it was the movie scaring me, or the reactions from others in the theater. Either way it was a fun movie to see and where I probably won't need to see it a second time, I'm still happy enough with this piece of work. I will also say as far as the acting goes, I was happy with most everyone in it excluding Dylan Mcdermot. His character didn't seem believable and at times I was laughing at him. I know he can act ad he's the only person in the movie with many movies under his belt that I have seen him in, but this was not his shining moment. The girl that plays Quinn however is really cute and does her part extremely well.