I just saw “Insidious” tonight, and I promised a report to several people on Facebook! I’ll keep my review as spoiler-free as possible, but it would still be too spoiler-ish for a Facebook update. The movie is a great, scary horror flick. It has a few cheap scares, but it is intelligent with only a couple of silly bits. The characters are solid, but a few of my new friends might take exception to how the paranormal investigators are portrayed.

The movie revolves around a family of five, who have just moved into a new house. The husband and wife have two sons who look nothing like one another. I honestly thought the second son was a neighbor kid when he was introduced! They also have an infant daughter that cries. And cries. And cries.

Soon strange, hauntings revolve around the older son, and the couple decide to move to a different house. This doesn’t help matters at all. The couple finally call in a paranormal team at the urging of the husband’s mother, played by Barbara Hershey. (Who’s still hot!). The paranormal team consists of two nerdy guys who dress like Mormons, and are basically comic relief in the film. They are joined by a psychic who is played serious. The team uses offbeat equipment in their ghost hunting, which I’m sure real paranormal investigators will have fun debating. I didn’t see an EVP recorder, K2 meter, or infrared illuminator anywhere in the film.

The investigation proceeds to stir up the hauntings to 11, there are a lot of interesting theories thrown about that tries to explain the Afterlife and possession. The movie is smart and very well put together, and doesn’t settle for the typical conclusion, which is refreshing. Remember to stay until after the credits finish rolling!