Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Insidious: Chapter 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

A solid prequel that franchise fans should love.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 28, 2015

Horror is one of the most varied genres out there in terms of quality but also in style, but there are obvious stylistic trends that have followed it through the years. The 1980s positively exploded with movie after movie in series after series featuring unstoppable killing machines methodically hunting prey (Friday the 13th, Halloween). The 1990s saw a steady stream of slicker, teen-focused films (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer). The 2000s were dominated by grossly gory movies made with little purpose beyond churning stomachs (Saw, Hostel). Recently, however, that trend has shifted to the world of the unseen, of paranormal happenings and frightening hauntings ("retro" Horror movies seem poised to be the next big trend). The Paranormal Activity franchise -- made on the cheap and gleefully repeating formula time and again -- has dominated the box office and seems on an unstoppable roll of releases that promise more and more every year. Not quite so large or financially successful, but far and away the superior franchise in terms of overall quality and depth, is the Insidious franchise that itself sticks to a tried-and-true formula of its own making but enjoys a fair bit more leeway thanks to higher production values, a strong central cast, an interesting core story, and less a sense of marketplace overload and more a sense of steady story building. Insidious: Chapter 3 journeys backwards in time prior to the first two films to explore a particularly disturbing haunting but also further establish character bonds and universe lore in a film that's lean, straightforward, entertaining, and a quality entry into what is arguably Horror's current franchise king.

Danger awaits.

Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) has recently lost her mother. She's doing her best to move on in life with her younger brother Alex (Tate Berney) and father Sean (Dermot Mulroney) at her side. Various clues -- physical and emotional -- lead her to believe that her mother's presence remains with her. She contacts a medium named Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) in hopes of getting some answers. Elise is reluctant to take the case, but she gives in and realizes that there is indeed something to Quinn's supernatural contacts. But when Quinn is struck by a car and left bedridden with two broken legs, she becomes haunted by a frightening entity from the other side. By the time her father begins to believe that what's happening to his daughter is real, it may be too late. Elise returns to the scene and joins forces with a couple of Internet ghost hunters named Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) whom Sean has hired on his son's recommendation. What they discover will change their realities forever.

Insidious: Chapter 3 doesn't bring much to the table that fans haven't seen before. But the allure here isn't so much the core story -- which isn't half bad, if not a bit generic -- but rather some insight into the backstories of several key franchise players, namely Elise, Specs, and Tucker. And even then, it's only in the final act that fans get to see them in deep, detailed action. Fans will enjoy some good moments with them that will better define where the franchise has been (for the audience) and where it's headed (for the characters). Prior to that, this is completely Quinn's story, which doesn't amount to much of anything beyond "girl who misses her recently deceased mother is haunted by a frightening aberration." The film manages to tell that story without it ever feeling as if it's dragging, even as it's largely predictable and strictly adherent to franchise formula in terms of mood, sights, and sounds all. The cast plays it well, with lead Stefanie Scott doing her best to define a character who falls somewhere in the middle of "interesting" and "cookie cutter." her ability to sell her plights -- mental, emotional, and physical all -- elevate the film considerably. She's worth the audience's emotional investment, which helps to heighten the film's central drama, even if it's lacking in deep imagination.

Regardless of what characters appear, what they do, or where the movie takes them, Insidious: Chapter 3 is at least a bastion of consistency when held up alongside its predecessors. The film's moody, chilly blue-and-black tinted otherworldly ambience dominates the third act and remains the visual star of the show. The series is nothing if not visually resplendent in its own unique way, bathed in that contrast of shadowy backgrounds meets blue lighting. The story melts into the atmosphere, which hangs over the movie even in its earlier stages. There's still a reliance on classic jump scares that take a relatively still and quiet moment and suddenly offer a big movement accompanied by a shrilly, screeching sound effect and musical cue. But the jump scares aren't overdone but prove rather nicely integrated into the movie, feeling like a necessary part of the experience rather than a filmmakers' desperate attempt to keep a bored audience on its toes.

Insidious: Chapter 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Insidious: Chapter 3 looks terrific on Blu-ray. It's about as perfect as the 1080p format and digital 4K source photography allows. Every inch of every frame is marvelously rendered. Details are crisp and natural in every lighting condition -- bright, warm, dark -- and there's no shortage of complex, finely honed textures to explore. Faces, clothes, furnishings, building materials, everything looks amazing. Colors are likewise splendid, with bright, cheery, varied, and vibrant shades evident in the film's brighter scenes. Warmer, lower light interiors also dazzle, and even the film's darkest scenes, lit primarily by blue-tinted lights, hugely impress. Black levels enjoy natural, accurate depth and shadow details are first-rate. Skin tones, too, appear natural in every scene and influenced only by surrounding lighting. The image appears free of any blemishes, including noise, banding, macroblocking, and aliasing. This is a tip-top, reference image from Sony.

Insidious: Chapter 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Insidious: Chapter 3 features an organic and immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Spacing, sound placement, and sound movement are vital to the experience, and Sony's presentation never disappoints. Music is robustly defined and expertly positioned, with dominant front-end spacing that features both a healthy, tangible surround support and a weighty low end. Stringy note are particularly satisfying and precisely defined. Sound depth and definition impress, too, in all areas. The listening area feels wide open as sounds maneuver through the stage and also enjoy pinpoint, effortlessly natural placement in the surrounds and off to the sides. The track's heavier, screechy sounds never lack in clarity, no matter how aggressively loud and piercing. Deep, detailed rumbles support several key scenes. Dialogue enjoys firm center placement with mild reverberation when the situation demands. This is a fully immersive, highly enjoyable listen from Sony.

Insidious: Chapter 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Insidious: Chapter 3 contains several featurettes and deleted scenes. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Origin Story: Making Chapter 3 (1080p, 19:04): A catchall overview piece that examines core franchise stylings, characters and performances, story details, technical construction, Leigh Whannell's direction, and more.
• Stunts: The Car Crash (1080p, 9:35): As the title suggests, this supplement looks at making one of the film's key stunt sequences.
• Macabre Creations (1080p, 8:58): An interesting look at the making of the film's practical and digital effects creations and makeup.
• Cherry Glazerr: Tiptoe Through the Tulips (1080p, 5:16): Stefanie Scott interviews the band that recorded for the movie.
• Being Haunted: A Psychic Medium Speaks (1080p, 11:34): Psychic Medium Michael J. Kouri shares some thoughts on the themes presented throughout the Insidious series and on his own encounters.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Quinn Finds Pictures (1:36), Hospital Aftermath (2:40), and Specs Explains His Job (1:07).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Insidious: Chapter 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Insidious: Chapter 3 is more about the experience and less about the nitty-gritty details. The franchise has become popular for several reasons, including its characters, but its atmosphere, unique styling, and approachable scares have made it into the current king of the Horror franchise landscape, Paranormal Activity's bigger numbers be damned. This third entry follows suit and further establishes central character lore. The core story isn't overwhelmingly interesting but it holds its own well enough, thanks in large part to a few rock-solid performances from series newcomers Stefanie Scott and Dermot Mulroney. It doesn't quite top the first, but it's a fair bit better than the somewhat dreary middle film. If the franchise can maintain at least this level of quality, there's no reason for it slow down. Sony's Blu-ray release of Insidious: Chapter 3 delivers reference quality technical attributes as well as a few decent supplements. Recommended, and this isn't a terrible place for series newcomers to start.