Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- foreboding
- dread-filled
- late night horror viewing
- haunted house double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found Insidious to be an effective and highly suspenseful haunted-house thriller, though many felt its final act weakened the strong atmosphere established earlier.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Lambert family’s new home becomes the central site of escalating paranormal disturbances and fear.
Dalton’s unexplained coma is presented as the key to understanding why he cannot simply be awakened.
The critical consensus specifically praises the film’s suspense and frightening unknowns while noting its lack of gore.
The plot explicitly invokes another dimension as the family searches for a way to retrieve Dalton.
Films like Insidious, and why
The Conjuring
supernatural haunted-house horror built around escalating dread, family peril, and a malevolent presence
Sinister
stylish supernatural horror that turns domestic spaces into sources of paranoia and terror
Poltergeist
family-centered paranormal horror involving a child, an altered state, and an unseen evil
The Exorcist
modern haunted-house thriller emphasizing atmosphere, mystery, and demonic forces over graphic gore
Movie Details
- Director
- James Wan
- Release Date
- 2011-03-31
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (7629)
Cast
- Patrick Wilson
- Rose Byrne
- Lin Shaye
- Ty Simpkins
- Barbara Hershey
- Leigh Whannell
- Angus Sampson
- Andrew Astor
- Corbett Tuck
- Heather Tocquigny
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Insidious about?
- When their comatose son becomes the focus of a malevolent supernatural force, a young family must confront an unseen realm threatening to consume their home.
- What is Insidious like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Insidious as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Insidious violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Insidious as mild.
- What did critics think of Insidious?
- Critics broadly found Insidious to be an effective and highly suspenseful haunted-house thriller, though many felt its final act weakened the strong atmosphere established earlier.
- Which films are like Insidious?
- Films with a similar feel include The Conjuring, Sinister, Poltergeist, and The Exorcist.
- How long is Insidious?
- Insidious runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Insidious?
- In United States, Insidious streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus.
