INSIDIOUS is the terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.
For thoughts on Insidious, please check out my colleague Shawn Paul Wood’s previous article here.
For a look at the SteelBook packaging, check out my unboxing video here.
Video Quality
The new 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Insidious offers a welcome uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray that was very pleasing when it was first released in 2011. The film arrives with a 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR master approved by director James Wan. The new 4K UHD allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment. This new release preserves the digital origins of the feature while still harnessing a world of pleasing texture and detail. You can more clearly distinguish specific details within the makeup, backgrounds and production design that were at times murkily defined before. The interior of the house is also given more depth which makes for a more compelling exploration. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are a standout aspect of the disc, especially when wading through such shadowy environments that have previously swallowed up detail.
James Wan employs a cool aesthetic which this disc recreates with great accuracy, holding true to the stylistic influence on the film. The UHD has fun with certain splashes of bold colors such as a recurring thematic spotlight on red. The Dolby Vision presentation allows the film to appear more nuanced than ever, as you have distinct lighting choices presenting with a formidable saturation. Highlights offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are much deeper which allows this transfer to provide a finer level of fine detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a tremendous amount of facial detail. This might not be the first film you imagine getting a 4K UHD upgrade, but the benefits are obvious from the beginning.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray gets an audio upgrade in the form of a monstrous Dolby Atmos track that gives the film a dynamic soundscape with a real unsettling and immersive quality. For purists, the new disc also offers up the original soundtrack in lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Both of these tracks are a knockout in their own ways, but we are glad Sony is continuing the trend of giving fans a choice. Those who choose to embark with the original track may not get the cutting edge in audio but you will be granted a perfectly formidable track without any age-related flaws.
With the Atmos track, you are granted the natural emphasis on the front channels for dialogue and other discrete sounds, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the world feel more three-dimensional and immersive in a way you will not soon forget. The sounds up above are not unending, but they make you feel as if you are being terrorized from all directions on your couch. The low end effects from the subwoofer give many terrifying moments that extra weight to boost the experience. Atmospheric sound effects are precisely rendered within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. The film makes good use of its soundtrack and score as it ground the narrative in atmosphere. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting trampled by the music or sound effects. The original DTS-HD 5.1 track is not quite as all-encompassing as the Atmos track, but it handles the scares capably. Sony has really delivered for fans. There are English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
Sony has provided Insidious with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is striking in person. The front artwork is a depiction of Dalton in front of the house as is on the theatrical poster with some writing in his pupils, and the rear features the red door against a sea of darkness. The interior sports a crayon drawing with the phrase “Last night I watched myself sleeping then I flew away” against a silver background. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.
- Horror 101 – The Exclusive Seminar: A nearly 11-minute piece in which writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan discuss the concepts they wanted to tackle, framing the film as a haunted house movie, the importance of “casting” the right house, grounding the personal lives of the characters, the use of jump scares, subverting audience expectations and more. It is always a pleasure to hear these two discuss their process and love of the genre.
- On Set with Insidious: An eight-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the lighthearted atmosphere on set, the collaboration between the creative team and the performers, the stunt work, the special effects and more. There is a lot of good behind-the-scenes footage.
- Insidious Entities: A nearly seven-minute featurette which takes a look at the ghostly figures created for the film, the “hierarchy” of the entities, the ideas behind these characters, crafting their aesthetic and more.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer is provided.
Final Thoughts
Insidious could be mistaken for your run-of-the-mill studio horror movie, but once you watch it you realize that James Wan and Leigh Whannell have their unique fingerprints all over it. These two have a love for the horror genre, and with this love comes the desire to strike genuine fear within the audience. When there is a build-up to a scare, the threat actually delivers. Their attention to detail is very welcome as they try to make so much of the terror come from a practical place. Even their doorway to their “big bad” comes from a place that has rarely been explored in mainstream horror. The film brings a unique flavor to the horror space that we wish we could get more often. Sony Pictures has released a lovely new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook featuring a great A/V presentation and a decent sprinkling of special features. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is a no-brainer for anyone looking to add the best version to their collection. Recommended
Insidious is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.