Insidious - 8 stars out of 10

Insidious - 8 stars out of 10

"Insidious" is easily one of the scariest movies that I have ever seen.  I don't know if I have ever held my breath for 20 straight minutes during a movie, but the horror was non-stop.  The creators of Paranormal Activity and Saw team up to create a terrifyingly terrific horror film that surpasses either of their prior franchises due to one key factor: moderation.  In Saw, there are too many senseless torture scenes that are way over the top and in Paranormal Activity, they use the same shot too many time.  However, they have reached horror perfection with this film, using a variety of scare tactics throughout and never use the same one so many times that it becomes stale.  Whether it is a creepy voice over an intercom, jump scenes, horrific imagery, or a brief scene with a small child unleashing terror on a room of people, no technique is overused.  The music during the opening credits serves as a disclaimer that some people in the theater may pee their pants.  Although the first few scenes of the movie aren't scary, having this music before it sets a tone that will have you on edge (even during the nice scenes).  There never seems to be an escape from the scary scenes as they string several nighttime scenes in a row, but the comic relief enters just in time with Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson, who were just perfect.  In fact, all of the acting is very good for a horror film (particularly Lin Shaye and Patrick Wilson).  As the story progresses, you'll think that you have everything figured out... only to have your mind blown.  The twist and resolution over the final 35 minutes of the film are incredible and yet the explanation perfectly ties together the events from the beginning with the latter half of the film.  If you still feel sane after all of the horrific imagery, freakish sounds, and out-of-body experiences, the ending will surely get you.  And you will never want to have your picture taken again.  This film is petrifying and yet, it does so with a very limited amount of language and basically without any gore.  It just goes to show that a good story, quick camera cuts, scary images, and strobing lights can still create an intense horror film that will have your heart pounding from start to finish.