Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exceptionally scary flick is too intense for younger teens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Insidious
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 61 parent reviews
Based on 333 kid reviews
Kids say that the film is a mix of enjoyment and fear, with many finding it entertaining yet quite scary, especially with its effective jump scares and unsettling imagery. While some viewers recommend it for older teens due to its intense moments and lack of gore, others argue it may not live up to its reputation as one of the scariest films, with mixed feelings about the plot and execution.
- scary atmosphere
- jump scares
- mixed reviews
- intense imagery
- older teen recommendation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In INSIDIOUS, the Lambert family settles into their new house, only to find that weird things are happening. Books and boxes move around, and there are weird noises coming from the attic. Before long, son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls into a mysterious coma, and mom Renai (Rose Byrne) starts seeing things. Dad Josh (Patrick Wilson) agrees to move them out of the seemingly haunted house, but the strange events continue. When Josh's mother (Barbara Hershey) hires a medium (Lin Shaye) to help, the medium explains that it was never the house that was haunted: It was Dalton! Now someone must make a dangerous, terrifying trip into The Further to try to rescue him ... if it's not too late.
Is It Any Good?
This is director James Wan and writer/actor Leigh Whannell's third project together (after their hit Saw and its dull follow-up Dead Silence) and it's their best and most frightening film yet. Essentially, Insidious is a retread of Poltergeist, about a haunted house that more or less "kidnaps" a child, but it has its own unique spin.
Surprisingly, after the ultra-gory Saw movies, Wan and Whannell choose here to go the old-fashioned route and rely on half-glimpsed images, darkness, shadows, and noises for their scares -- which are really more effective, anyway. And the characters are flawed in a deliberate and interesting way, resulting in some good performances. Hershey and Shaye especially get in some interesting moments.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Insidious' violence and terror. How did it affect you?
How scary is the movie? What makes it different from, and scarier than, other horror movies? Is it scarier given the fact that a young boy is in trouble?
Are these characters likable? Why do you think they act the way they do? Are they role models?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 1, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : July 12, 2011
- Cast : Barbara Hershey , Patrick Wilson , Rose Byrne
- Director : James Wan
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Southeast Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : FilmDistrict
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material, violence, terror and frightening images, and brief strong language
- Last updated : July 29, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate