Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Horror sequel brings more of the same creepy scares.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Insidious: Chapter 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 69 kid reviews
Kids say the sequel offers some intense jump scares and a darker storyline, appealing to horror fans, though some find it less original and repetitive compared to the first film. Many reviews highlight its suitability for older children and teens, while it is noted that the film contains moderate violence, some language, and is less scary overall, leading to mixed opinions on its effectiveness as a horror sequel.
- intense jump scares
- darker storyline
- suitable for older kids
- less original
- moderate violence
- mixed opinions
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, after Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) returned from the Further -- the spooky world of the dead -- with his missing son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), at the end of Insidious, it seemed like everything was going to be all right. Think again. The medium, Elise (Lin Shaye), is dead, and Josh is a suspect. Josh's wife, Renai (Rose Byrne), starts hearing and seeing scary things again, and even Josh doesn't seem quite right. Meanwhile, Josh's mom, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), contacts Elise's assistants, Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), for help, which leads to an incident from her past. Will the family survive another trip to the Further?
Is It Any Good?
This movie simply presents more of the same stuff we saw in Insidious, and it no longer feels quite so fresh. The "Further," a great idea in the previous movie, is no longer an unknown entity, the characters aren't explored any more deeply, and even the ghosts have no new tricks.
But just because Insidious: Chapter 2 isn't as good as the original doesn't make this sequel a bad movie. Director James Wan continues to develop his touch for truly scary horror. Unlike many of today's camera-shakers, Wan uses smooth, three-dimensional space and offscreen sound to generate his scares. His camera moves freely through houses and buildings, using natural obstacles like walls and doorways to generate prickly suspense. Like his film The Conjuring, it's also refreshingly free of gore, profanity, and sex. The weird, atonal score by Joseph Bishara adds another nightmarish layer. The bottom line is that it's still quite scary.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Insidious: Chapter 2's violence. How much blood and gore is shown? Do you need that stuff to make a "horror" movie?
Is the movie scary? How does it compare to other scary movies you've seen?
What's the general appeal of horror movies? How is this ghost story different from a movie about, say, a serial killer?
How does Insidious: Chapter 2 compare to the original Insidious?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 13, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : December 24, 2013
- 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 : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of terror and violence, and thematic elements
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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