--- title: "Insidious: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/insidious/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/insidious" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Insidious (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 15 reviews: 2 positive, 9 mixed, 4 negative. The consensus on Insidious is mixed, with praise clustering around its well-timed shocks and tense opening stretch. Several critics find the scares effective even when the story feels familiar or silly. The more receptive reviews also praise the restless camerawork and the variety of its frights. Collider is the clearest enthusiast, singling out Lin Shaye’s performance and the film’s ability to frighten without relying on blood. Reservations centre on the second half, where exposition and supernatural complications weaken the suspense for several reviewers. The spread is wide: what some find entertaining, others find merely hokey. Humour is a particular dividing point. HeyUGuys enjoys the playful ghostbusting sidekicks, while The Guardian finds the turn towards comedy contrived and short of scares. Most critics fall between those positions, acknowledging the film’s capacity to startle while questioning how well it sustains its early promise. ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2011. Newman finds the film silly and weakly acted, but consistently scary. He singles out its frequent, well-crafted shocks as its main strength. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/insidious-review/) ## Film Comment — Michael Koresky Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The issue metadata identifies this as a review of Insidious, but the review’s verdict is not accessible. The article’s specific praise or criticism cannot be determined from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/issues/march-april-2011/?pdfviewer=issue&pdf-page=69) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The review’s verdict and specific praise or criticism could not be verified from the accessible page. The page returned a browser-check message instead of the article. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/insidious-2011) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available in the supplied text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/movies/insidious-directed-by-james-wan-review.html) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2.5/4. 27 March 2011. Gonzalez finds the film derivative but often frightening, calling it a funhouse ride. He praises its suggestive scares and singles out its petrifying flashes of lost souls as what lingers most. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/insidious-5381/) ## Total Film — Matt Glasby Rating 3/5. 20 April 2011. The critic finds the film an effective, if uneven, fright flick that loses its way in the second half. The opening stretch’s well-orchestrated scares are praised, while clumsy exposition and familiar horror borrowings are criticized. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/insidious-review/) ## Screen Daily — Allan Hunter Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2010. Festival review. The page identifies this as Allan Hunter’s review, but its critique is behind a paywall. The available text does not reveal the verdict or what it singles out. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/insidious/5018312.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2011. The critic finds the film an intermittently effective, guilty-fun ghost story that falls short of a genre reboot. Its well-timed jolts and atmospheric camera work earn praise, while the second half’s arbitrary spiritual realm and unexplained character behavior weaken it. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/insidious-film-review-163881/) ## Time Out — Nigel Floyd Rating 2/5. 26 April 2011. The page identifies this as Nigel Floyd’s review and assigns it two out of five stars. The review text is unavailable, so no specific praise or complaint can be established. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/insidious) ## The Guardian — Cath Clarke Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2011. Clarke finds the horror silly and hokey, offering only a few effective scares. She particularly criticizes the preposterous demon and the film’s contrived, scare-free turn toward comedy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/apr/28/insidious-review) ## Collider — Scott Wampler Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2011. Festival review. Wampler gives the film an emphatically positive verdict, calling it one of the scariest and most entertaining horror experiences in years. He singles out Lin Shaye’s performance and praises the film’s ability to frighten without relying on blood. [Read the review](https://collider.com/insidious-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Lisa Giles-Keddie Rating 4/5. 28 April 2011. The reviewer calls Insidious an effective, entertaining horror that mixes scares with humor and unexpected turns. She praises its well-timed jump scares and the playful ghostbusting sidekicks, while noting that some parts run too long. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/insidious-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ron Hogan Rating 3/5. 4 April 2011. Hogan finds the film an enjoyable haunted-house movie, though its supernatural second half is less successful. He praises the opening’s tense build-up, varied scares, and creepy camera movements. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/insidious-review/) ## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn Rating ★★★. 3 May 2011. Dunn finds the film familiar but lively, praising its infectious vitality. He singles out Wan’s hyperactive visual style and the humorous seance scene. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/insidious) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2011. The headline indicates a negative verdict, saying the haunted-house film leaves the critic cold. It singles out the film’s haunted-house approach as failing to engage. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-insidious-is-a-haunted-house-movie-that-leaves-us-cold-20110331/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/insidious.md