Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

"If you call out to one of the dead... 

All of them can hear you."

'Insidious: Chapter 3'... 
Because we all need more prequels right?

After attempting to speak with her dead mother, teenage Quinn Brenner finds herself being haunted by an evil demon so she recruits the help of a gifted psychic to help get rid of the entity.

'Insidious: Chapter 2' was the only film that I've ever walked out of in the cinema so that fact alone should give you an idea of my mindset going into 'Insidious: Chapter 3'. I was adamant that I wasn't going to see the third instalment in this overrated franchise but, after hearing some relatively positive reviews, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt on a quiet Sunday afternoon. 

'Insidious: Chapter 3', on it's own, manages to epitomise everything that is wrong with modern horror today. If someone was teaching a class on why modern horror has gone so far down the pan, I'd expect to see this film on a viewing list. 

What is even more frustrating about 'Insidious: Chapter 3' is that it had the potential to be a decent horror film which, in many ways, is even worse than if it was just a really bad film.

The biggest problem I had with this film was the jump scares... 

Jump scares everywhere.

What's that behind that door?
It's a jump scare.

What's going to happen here?
Oh wait, a jump scare. 

Is this actually going to be a scary scene?
No... It's just another jump scare.

True horror isn't built on jump scares. 
The fear of getting a fright isn't the same as fear itself, a fact that these filmmakers failed to grasp. A 5 second scare from a hand grabbing someone doesn't even come close to a torturously scary 2 minute scene that just won't let up. The difference is vast and it's an important difference. 

There isn't one scene in 'Insidious: Chapter 3' that is genuinely scary because every moment that has genuine potential is ruined by a jump scare. You know when it's coming and you are always guaranteed to jump because who wouldn't jump out of their seat when a loud noise screeches through a cinema? 
The film doesn't give you the opportunity to be scared because every time you settle into a scene, there's another freakin' jump scare. It really puts into perspective how dangerous the demon is because halfway into the film you can't help but think that all it is really doing is grabbing people and making noises... This is so infuriating because it did have some really interesting moments that could have been great but they were completely ruined by the same old "BOO!" moments. 

Therein lies the problem with modern horror. The film is rated 15 to allow for younger teenagers to see the film. I can't speak for this demographic but it doesn't seem like they're interested in the horror experience or the slow burn approach that makes us scared but rather the instantaneous scare from the popcorn flick that's going to make them jump out of their seats. Even on the slow Sunday showing that I went to was full of giggling teenagers that were still probably too young to see the film.

There was no explanation for anything that needed explaining. Granted, a lot of what makes things scary is the unknown but the demon that was haunting young Quinn was interesting enough that we could have delved a little deeper and not lost any of the intrigue. Unfortunately, all we get is a two-dimensional demon who wants to haunt a young girl. There's no substance or weight to it.

The characters are boring and you don't care about anyone involved. Stefanie Scott in particular as the lead is mundane and lifeless, if we're meant to care that she's being haunted then it's not working. I think she's just there as the misunderstood teenager so that the misunderstood teenagers in the audience will relate to her, plus the fact that she practically has her ass out for the whole movie helps the teenage boys in the audience too...

Characters are even forgotten by the film itself until they become useful. There's one character whose only job in the film is to provide the jump scare that is in the trailer... That's it.
We have Dermot Mulroney who plays Quinn's dad who, despite playing a two dimensional character, still manages to pull off a half decent performance. 
Lin Shaye gives a reasonably functional performance as the psychic ass kicker who, despite promising to never talk to the dead again, seems totally incapable of sticking to anything she says. She somehow successfully delivers some of the absolutely horrendous pieces of dialogue so hats off to her, she really holds the film together. 

I always judge a horror by it's ability to keep me thinking about it long after I've left the cinema or turned off the TV. If it makes you turn on a light or makes you see something in a shadow then it's done it's job and 'Insidious: Chapter 3' did not succeed in that. 

I would struggle to even class 'Insidious: Chapter 3' as a horror because it's really more of a thriller. The component parts that make a horror film a horror film aren't there.
I enjoy a good jump scare when it's necessary or if it's unexpected but when the entire film is built around it then it just becomes tiresome. 

I imagine, in the right circumstances, that putting on 'Insidious: Chapter 3' would be a good laugh if you've had enough to drink. It would make everyone jump and you don't really need to pay that much attention to the story.  

Overall, 'Insidious: Chapter 3' is a piece of horror trash that will make you jump but pretty much nothing else. The best ideas in the film are either ruined by cheap scares or not explored enough to be of any value. There are endless plot holes and problems that you could pick apart for days but it's not even worth the effort...

'Insidious: Chapter 3' isn't designed to really scare an audience and unsettle them, it's job is to provide a few cheap jump scares with no substance to sell tickets and popcorn. 
If you are looking for a film to make you jump then you'll probably really enjoy this but I genuinely hope there won't be a "Chapter 4"...