Movieman Madness: Cinema Spotlight VIII - Leigh Whannell (Part 1): "Insidious: Chapter 3"

Stefanie Scott (known for her Queen Bee role on Disney Channel's A.N.T. Farm)
as Quinn Brenner in Insidious Chapter 3.

Before he was trapped by Jigsaw with Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell dreamed of being a story-teller whether as an actor or a writer. He got his chance while attending college in his home county of Australia where he met best friend and future collaborator James Wan. During the years that lead to the creation of Saw, Whannell served as a film critic on a television program called Recovery (think of it as Australia's version of nineties MTV). Fun Fact: Angus Sampson was among the cast and a writer of the show who would work with Whannell again in the Insidious movies as the ghost-tracking duo Specs and Tucker.

Leigh Whannell on Recovery, as David in the Saw short (2003), with James Wan during the first Saw film,
as Axel in The Matrix Reloaded(2003), as Adam in Saw (2004), with James Wan during the first Insidious film.

After the success of Saw, Whannell stuck around as the writer of this sanguine serial until the third film and wrote the screenplay for Wan's second film Dead Silence. Following the film's poor reception, Whannell retreated from working as a writer with big studios and went independent, though that didn't stop him from acting in Wan's third film Death Sentence. His next written project wouldn't be until the Insidious movies and once again teamed-up with Wan who directed the first two installments with positive results. For the third chapter, Wan was too busy with Furious 7 to return, so it seemed natural that the creator of this ghostly narrative should be the one to take over.

Quinn meeting Elise (Lin Shaye)

Several years before the events of the first Insidious film, we follow Elise (Lin Shaye), who during this time has given up her psychic practice and lives a solitary life, until a teenage girl named Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott), asks for her help. Quinn believes that her deceased mother is trying to contact her and when Elise gets in touch on the other side, lets just say it isn't Quinn's mother trying to say hello.

Sean Brenner (Dermot Mulroney) comforting her daughter after a ghostly attack.

All those years of watching Wan work behind the camera paid off as Whannell proves to be a competent director from mastering the art of jump-scares and delivering another creepy chronicle of the Insidious lore in addition to his acting and writing duties on the film. He's able take charge of bringing his own script to life without inference and seeing what does and doesn't translate well onscreen.

With the story of the Lamberts concluding with Chapter 2, the focus shifts on Elise who I didn't think we would see again after the events of the previous chapters but Whannell finds a way to bring her back in this prequel. This is a different Elise from when we first met her in in Chapter 1, all calm and confident in her ability. Now we see her frail and frightened of her own psychic power and hesitant to help. I was happy to see more of her backstory and the ties that would later connect with the Lamberts.

Maggie (Hayley Kioko), and Hector (Ashton Mio) greeting Quinn who returns from the hospital.
Their last scene together with Quinn.

One would think this is an origin story but it isn't. The focus is more on Quinn and the evil spirit haunting her. The relationship with her father (Dermot Mulroney) is the strength of the movie and the two characters that matter along with Specs (Whannell) and Tucker (Sampson) although they don't come in until the last act. It's more than I can say for the rest of the cast from Quinn's little brother, the cute next-door neighbor, the best friend, a women with dementia and her husband. They only appear in a couple of scenes and are gone for the rest of the movie. That's a shame because the previous Insidious films were able to give sufficient screen time and attention to their supporting and minor characters but here they are superfluous and a little annoying at times. Whenever it cuts back to Elise, she gives the movie the needed jolt.

Sean with Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell).

Themes of death, mortality and illness appear frequently in Whannell's work from the serial killer Jigsaw dying of cancer in Saw to the ghostly world of the further where the dead among others roam in Insidious. In Chapter 3, the evil spirit haunting Quinn known as the Man Who Can't Breathe represents the negative aspects of death, it goes after who Quinn who is still grieving the loss of her mother. The same with Elise who lost her husband and like Quinn can't let go of her anguish and tries to contact him only to find an evil spirit waiting for her demise. A theme repeated from Chapter 2 on why its not a good idea to contact the dead (yet it still goes for the seance-like presentation, at least the first Insidious film gave it a paranormal tech-look). The shock leaves them both vulnerable especially Quinn who is crippled by the monster and makes her easy prey.

(Spoilers) I liked how in the end Quinn never see's her mother but rely's on Elise's word whom the psychic can now see and tells Quinn that her mother is always with her even if Quinn can't see or feel her. It's enough for Quinn to believe even if it's a little corny. It adds to the awesomeness of Elise and her ghostly talent to help people and exile evil spirits like an exorcist but on a secular level. Seeing death is scary, painful and tragic but don't let it stop you from living, enjoy life while you can, for death will eventually come to claim us before we know it. It's something that both Quinn and Elise learn to let go. (End of Spoilers).

While a success at the box-office, critics weren't too fond as the the film received mostly negative reviews but horror fans enjoyed as it earned a Saturn nomination for Best Horror Film. Insidious Chapter 3 may be more flawed than its predecessors, buts serves as a nice prologue to Elise's story as her origin would take center stage in the next chapter The Last Key where Whannell would continue to serve as the writer and actor but not direct. Setting his sights away from horror and more into sci-fi, Whannell prepares his next project on a different scary subject in the age of technology.......

Trademarks:

Opening Credits:

James Wan Easter Eggs

The roles are switched as this time James Wan makes a cameo
in Whannell's film as a theater director.
Even Wan's color red appears throughout the film.

Elise's pet dog Warren, is named after Ed and Lorraine Warren from
The Conjuring films directed by James Wan.

Wan regular Steve Coulter makes a cameo as Carl who was introduced in Chapter 2.

Hospital:

Quinn after the car accident.
In the early years before Saw came to fruition, Leigh Whannell suffered from anxiety issues that took a toll on his health. During his time at the hospital, he noticed other patients who were older and in worse condition that had him realize his own mortality. The experience would serve as the inspiration for Jigsaw and would be a recurring theme in his work.

Damaged Character (Mentally and Physically)