Analysing Full Films- Insidious

Full analysis of Insidious

Insidious is an American psychological/supernatural horror film, written by Leigh Whannell and directed by James Wan. The film featured Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Barbara Hershey. It was released in theatres in America on April 1, 2011.

Todorov’s theory of narrative structure suggests that the story begins with equilibrium where everything is in balance. This is then disrupted by an event, causing disequilibrium. Problems are then resolved into a new equilibrium by the end of a story. Insidious follows this narrative structure closely, until the end of the film. It begins with equilibrium, with the Lambert family moving into a new house, and having a new start. The event which disrupts the equilibrium is arguably when the little boy (Dalton) breaks the ladder and falls off, which brings darkness and shows that all is not well. However, Dalton going into a coma is more easily recognisable as the disruption of equilibrium. It could be argued that there is a restoration of equilibrium at the end of the film, with Dalton being rescued. However, due to the fact that his dad (Josh) becomes trapped by his childhood demon again, leaves the film on a cliff-hanger and makes the audience believing that there isn’t a restoration of equilibrium.

An audience would expect to be terrified while watching this film, due to the fact that they know that the film is a horror. Many audience members will have looked up information on it and so will be expecting different things. Insidious has what can be assumed as a male villain (the demon), trying to capture the body of a small boy (Dalton), in order to live again on Earth and do evil things. This goes against the traditional genre template which Hollywood set, a male killer killing a female victim. Because this film challenges the typical horror film, there is no ‘final girl’, because the main women in the film are not in any danger throughout the film. Laura Mulvey suggested that the male gaze in Hollywood films reflects the male unconscious mind: most filmmakers are male, and so the gaze of the camera is male. However, it could be argued that the camera is not in the perspective of a male’s gaze, as women are not depicted as sex objects in this film, instead are seen as helpers. In contrast to this, they are still seen as vulnerable and helpless, which supports Mulvey’s theory.

At the time where this film was made (00’s), the popular subgenre within horror was Psychological horror and ‘Torture-Porn’. It could be argued that this film is a psychological horror, as it plays with the audience’s mind. However, it doesn’t have elements of ‘toture0porn’, as there are no gruesome deaths or blood being shed. Instead, the film returns to the 60’s, with the ideas of ghosts, Satanism and family, which again defies the modern conventions of a horror film.

Propp’s theory of character types suggests that there are 8 character roles within films. He looked at 100s of old folk tales to establish this. He argues that in a film there is always: The villain(s)(usually female), the hero (usually male), the donor (person who provides an object with magic property), the helper (who aids the hero), the princess (reward of the hero), her father (who rewards the hero), the dispatcher (who sends the hero on their task), and finally the false hero. Insidious has many of these character types, and so complies with Propp’s theory. It has a hero, in the form of the father (Josh Lambert). It is easy to distinguish him as the hero, as he tries desperately to save the victim throughout the film (his son, Dalton). There is a clear villain (the demon). It could be argued that there is a donor(Elise Rainier), who gives the hero a magical item, in the form of a metronome, in order for the hero to go into the parallel word to save his son. There are three clear helpers, the ‘demon-hunters’(Elise Rainier, Specs and Tucker). Elise Rainier could also be the dispatcher, as she tells the hero how to save his son. However, there is no apparent princess or father, as the thing that the hero is trying to save is his son, and he gets no reward, other than getting his son back of course.

In conclusion, Insidious roughly follows the narrative structure of Todorov, with the exception of there not being a restoration of equilibrium. However, it strongly complies with Propp’s theory, and has most of, if not all of the eight character types which he established. The audience would probably be satisfied with this film, as it would be everything that they would expect from a psychological supernatural horror.