Face-Off: Insidious vs. The Conjuring

There are a lot of ghosts throughout INSIDIOUS, all vying to take possession of the comatose body of a child who has astrally projected himself into The Further, “a dark realm filled with the tortured souls of the dead.” There’s a man seen lurking in a baby’s room, a playful little boy, a strange woman dressed in black, but the one that emerges as the greatest threat is a hideous red demon that spends its downtime sharpening its metal claws and listening to Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”.

The Lamberts are a likeable bunch, and Wan lets us get to know them well. There’s Josh, the teacher with a troubled past he doesn’t remember; Renai, who put her dreams on hold to raise a family; Dalton, whose secret gift of astral projection gets him into some serious trouble; Foster, a good kid who struggles with how to handle the tragedy his family is enduring; and the infant Cali. We don’t know what her personality is like yet, she’s just being a cute baby for now. Josh and Renai are dedicated parents who go to great lengths to protect their children, even willingly venturing into a dangerous spirit dimension.

The Lamberts’ large suburban home is the perfect setting for the story of a haunting. Lots of rooms and corners, winding wooden stairs, a dark, creaky, cobwebbed attic. When it becomes clear that the place is haunted, the family very wisely vacates the premises… but spirits roam their smaller, bland second home, too. It’s not the houses that are haunted, it’s Dalton.

Josh and Renai seek help from a woman Josh’s mother knows from way back – paranormal investigator Elise Reiner. Elise walks in and takes control of the movie, it’s easy to see why she would become the center of the franchise, alive or dead. She’s assisted by a couple of goofballs called Specs and Tucker, who have modified toys into ghost hunting equipment. The antics of Specs and Tucker almost threaten to alter the tone of the film, but while they will go out of control in future installments (especially part 2) they’re mostly reined in here. The investigators are a fun trio who boost the film to another level around the midway point.

A creepy atmosphere lingers over INSIDIOUS and there are several scares driven home by a sound design that verges on being obnoxiously noisy, but it works for causing jumps. If this movie doesn’t frighten you, it’s not for a lack of trying, as Wan never goes very long at all without throwing some kind of scare at you. The most famous moment is when the demon is revealed to be right behind Josh, and that creature is an unforgettable sight.