Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

When a friend sneaks up behind you and pops a balloon in your ear, is that horror? Of course not. It will likely leave you irritated, and that's exactly what this movie does. There are no decent horror elements to this movie, just constant cheap jumpscares that rely primarily on audio. Imagine watching shrek and at random points the audio jumps to 200%. Startling but not scary, and it's the same with this movie. Do it enough, and is it surprising people would leave during the movie? It doesn't mean the movie is scary. By the midpoint I stopped caring about the plot, the characters, and struggled through to avoid that restlessness that comes from leaving a movie unfinished.

I suppose Leigh Whannell earned the right by now to further exploit and benefit from the commercially successful horror franchises that he co-created himself. After all, Whannell co-wrote the original "Saw" as well as the previous two "Insidious" installments, but James Wan took most of the credit for those being also the director. With Wan moving on towards mainstream stuff, like "Fast and the Furious", Whannell was entirely solo to take credit as writer, director and supportive actor for this third episode. Good for him because, let's be totally honest, in case this particular story was released as a stand-alone horror film - rather than as a sequel (or prequel, whatever) in the "Insidious" series - it wouldn't have stand a change at success. "Insidious: Chapter 3" is watchable, but completely mundane and unremarkable. It's a tale of ghosts and spiritual possession like there are thirteen in a dozen; relying mostly on a handful of foreseeable "boo"-moments and a more elaborated role for actress Lin Shaye. A teenage girl, Quinn Brenner, seeks the help of retired spiritual medium Elise Rainier to get in contact with her deceased mother. Elise warns her that calling out to one specific dead soul can be overheard by all deceased souls, including the malignant ones. Later, near the apartment building where she lives, Quinn is lured into a vicious accident by an unidentified evil spirit and she breaks both her legs. While tied to her bed, the same spirit attempts to take possession of Quinn's body as it turns out to be the ghost of a former resident of the building who committed many vile acts when he was alive. There isn't a lot more to write about this film, honestly. I wasn't particularly bored when watching "Insidious: Chapter 3", but it's never at one point atmospheric or genuinely unsettling. The jumpy moments are too obvious and the make-up effects are tame and very PG-13. Part three is a prequel, taking place a year or 2-3 prior to the events in the original "Insidious", and already features brief appearances of ghost and demons that would play far more prominent roles in the other two films. Interesting trivia for the die-hard fans of the franchise, but I must admit they slipped my attention at first. While I'm writing this user-comment, another new installment - "Insidious: The Lasts Key" in the series is about to be released in theaters. Remember the ancient horror rule: sequels are truly becoming awful when they stop numbering them!

This 2015 horror film stars Lin Shaye, Stefanie Scott and Dermot Mulroney. This is a prequel to "Insidious" that takes place a few years prior where psychic, Elise Rainier (Shaye) helps young girl, Quinn (Scott) who is haunted by a demonic spirit. Mulroney (The Grey) plays Quinn's father, Sean and Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell also appear as Tucker and Specks, paranormal investigators who will eventually work with Elise. This is a good horror/supernatural flick and Shaye is great in it. Horror buffs should give this one a view.

Chapter 3 takes us back before the first two installments of the Insidious Franchise. This movie is a truly chilling horror movie, going more for the hair-raising creepiness of demons caught between the living and the after life rather than relying on cheap startling pops to make it scary. Stefanie Scott succeeds in gaining the audience's sympathy as her character, Quinn Brenner, a teenage girl who recently lost her mother, suffers a debilitating accident, and has to battle with the paranormal realm. Lin Shaye reprises her role as the medium Elise Reiner. We see Elise's life before the Lambert family hauntings, and we even get to see how Elise meets Specs and Tucker (Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson) Quinn lives with her father Sean Brenner (Dermot Mulroney) and younger brother Alex (Tate Berrey). Quinn begins to witness strange happenings in her room at night, and she seeks out the help of Elise. Quinn tells Elise that she believe her mother is trying to communicate with her, and therefore she has tried to contact her mother. Elise explains that when trying to contact an individual, all can hear; and that Quinn has opened the gates to some not-so-friendly, or shall I say insidious, demons. Reluctant at first, Elise agrees to help Quinn, but not before the Brenners seek the help of paranormal bloggers Specs and Tucker. The film is suspenseful throughout. The movie ends with a teaser for a fourth chapter. As long as they keep them as good as the first three, I look forward to seeing more.