Just when we thought that the haunted house horror movie had worn itself out, along came Insidious. Directed by the guy who brought us Saw six years earlier, Insidious is a far subtler affair - literally working as a the cinematic equivalent of a ghost train, lacking any instances of blood or gore, and - instead - settling for the an onslaught of creepy moments and jump scares. And for the most part, Insidious actually worked. It's clear that James Wan was influenced by the likes of Poltergeist when putting his flick together, and though the movie suffers by comparison, it's not a bad homage. So why does it count for a defining flick? Simply put, this ushered in a new wave of haunted house flicks in Hollywood, not to mention multiple sequels. But recent motion pictures such as Sinister and The Conjuring owe their allegiance to Insidious.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
