One Step Further

Who’s ready for another tip toe through the dead and wilting tulips of the other-world?

Eye-spy a meaningless visual gimmick

The Insidious brand is back with another chapter in the form of a prequel, though one could argue that it’s just the story of another family haunted by another ghost/demon/spirit/creeper in the life and times of our resident petite psychic, Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye). There are snippets of inside jokes and references to the other films, but the bulk of this story is set apart from the previous (or, in this timeline, later) tale of Josh and Renai (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne).

In this film, Quinn (Stefanie Scott) seeks psychic advice from Elise. She’s recently lost her mother and, desperate to reconnect, she’s tried to contact her herself. Elise points out that speaking to the dead means speaking to ALL of the dead. Come on, Quinn, have you ever SEEN a movie? Stay off the ouija board, girl! Elise says she’s outta the business, hit the road, sugar.

Heard a noise? Why don’t you just look under the bed and see what it is? Bitches.

Quinn hits the road, (pun intended!!) and is clearly being tailed by something far more insidious (!!) than Mommie Dearest, something with black oozy, wall walking footprints and a real mouth breathing problem. Once Quinn finds herself laid up with both legs in casts (talk about your vulnerable main character!), and her resident shadow lurking, ceiling cracking, bedroom crashing boyfriend steps up his game, her widowed pa (Dermot Mulroney) convinces Elise to get involved. Cut to a heavy handed introduction to Elise’s future posse, Specs and Tucker (Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson), and we’re back in the comfort zone of the Further.

Leigh Whannell makes admirable strides as director, and maintains the tone of gloom and doom that we’ve become accustomed to. Lots of dark, shadowy shots of hallways with an ominous doorway at the end. Lots of curtain creeping and inexplicable indoor fog. The acting is adept, as usual (with the exception of the irritating and unnecessary little brother who feels like an afterthought). Add our familiar cast of Further freaks (the smiler actually got under my skin a bit) and you’ve got a film that gives just enough to satisfy you’re craving.

That being said, in what is becoming the blueprint for this genre of film, the build up of horrors, the unfathomably loud jump scares (no fake outs, thankfully), and the just out of clear view monsters set us on edge and have us gritting our teeth. Then, the good guy steps in and saving the day suddenly seems SO easy. Is that what all the fuss was about? Luckily, this film’s demon is less comical in appearance than the ‘lipstick demon’ of the other two, who, to me, looked a bit like a homicidal pinata. This allows a little bit of discomfort to remain once he’s in full and plain view.

I have no quote, for this one, from the horror free husband, as he, gladly, stayed home with the girl while I went out with my heavily pregnant friend to see it. No labour induced!

Life lessons:

1. Be grateful you are ALIVE. it goes a long way.

2. Buddy system! Share a room and sleep with the lights on, geez!

3.Look both ways, for god’s sake!

4. All you need is love? I’m a Beatles fan, don’t get me wrong, but that’s a moral best left for cartoons, no?

5. Wear flip flops in the shower, who knows what’s in that ooze……