Insidious: Chapter 2 parents guide

Insidious: Chapter 2 Parent Guide

Overall C

In this sequel to Insidious, the Lambert family (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins) tries to uncover and undo the secret that has made them susceptible to supernatural forces.

Release date September 13, 2013

Violence C
Sexual Content A
Profanity B-
Substance Use A-

Why is Insidious: Chapter 2 rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Insidious: Chapter 2 PG-13 for intense sequences of terror and violence, and thematic elements.

Run Time: 106 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

The poor Lambert family doesn’t learn very fast. In their previous Insidious outing they had to put up with squeaky doors and haunting sounds until they finally discovered the ghost that was freeloading in their home wasn’t attached to their house, but to their son (Ty Simpkins). The discovery saved the family but cost the life of Elise, their psychic (Lin Shaye). Now in “Chapter 2”, parents Josh and Renai (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) are living in Josh’s mother’s (Barbara Hershey) home where they once again are spooked by creaks and groans. Worse yet the police are still investigating Elise’s death and Josh is a prime suspect.

A case lot of WD-40 would likely solve ninety percent of their issues, but the opening of this movie assures us this issue is more than rusty hinges. It turns out Josh had his own ghostly interaction with mediator Elise when he was a young boy, along with an assistant named Carl (Hank Harris). Now Carl (Steve Coulter) is feeling the need to communicate with Elise in the afterlife. For added support he teams up with Specs and Tucker (Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson)—Elise’s tech team from the first movie—and discovers the Lamberts are still in danger.

Other than a brief twist in the third act, this movie is all about scene and setting. Old houses with dim light bulbs and an abandoned hospital (complete with confidential patient records still on the shelves) provide plenty of boo business. As the plot thickens the violence escalates, with portrayals of a possessed male character that lashes out and strikes a woman multiple times, attempts to choke her and threatens a child with a weapon. Other scenes depict fights and scuffles with a knife and a hypodermic tranquilizer. Squeamish stomachs will also awaken when a hidden room is discovered that’s full of murdered corpses—all women. Finally another flashback reveals a child forced to assume an opposite gender identity.

There is no sexual content and profanities are limited to a single scatological curse and terms of Christian deity. Obviously those who don’t appreciate themes involving séances and psychics will also want to search for scares elsewhere.

The movie deserves credit for turning some everyday objects into spooky devices, like a tin can telephone that becomes a conduit for a rude awakening during a child’s sleep. But the involvement of children in this story will almost certainly make this a nightmare generator for young audiences. For older teens and adults, there’s little here of artistic or moral value to make the film worth your time. With a closing moment that falls just short of proclaiming “Insidious Chapter 3: Coming soon to a theater near you,” viewers can be assured that ghost busters Specs, Tucker and Carl (and most likely a resurrected Elise) will be back to haunt theaters again.

Directed by James Wan . Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye. Running time: 106 minutes. Theatrical release September 13, 2013. Updated

Insidious: Chapter 2
Rating & Content Info

Why is Insidious: Chapter 2 rated PG-13? Insidious: Chapter 2 is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of terror and violence, and thematic elements.

Violence: WARNING—Information contains plot spoilers: A possessed man seriously assaults a woman and attempts to murder her—a child that witnesses the incident runs for cover. A man is seen with a large knife and is poised to kill a child. A young boy is seen in a dress and wig, when he removes the wig his mother screams at him and demands that he accept a female name and identity. A room full of female corpses is discovered, all of which were murder victims. Dialog mentions a man attempting to castrate himself. Men fight with a knife and a hypodermic needle containing tranquilizer; by the end a man is stabbed and another shot with the needle. A man removes a bloody tooth from his mouth. A dead woman is seen sitting in a chair with a horrified look on her face. Many “jump” scenes are included that intend to frighten with visuals and/or sounds.

Sexual Content: None noted.

Language: A single scatological term, a couple of terms of Christian deity and a few other mild profanities are used.

Alcohol / Drug Use: A hypodermic needle containing medical tranquilizer becomes an unintended weapon.

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Insidious: Chapter 2 Parents' Guide

Did the movie make you jump? What makes movies scarier for you—outright, in your face scary images on the screen or more subtle themes that linger in your mind after the movie? Why are so many people attracted to horror movies?

Is there a link between movies that dwell on the afterlife and religious beliefs? Why is the afterlife nearly always depicted as a frightening place? Why are “ghosts” often evil? What do these repeated themes say about our views of religion and the possibility of a life hereafter?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Insidious: Chapter 2 movie is December 24, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Insidious Chapter 2

Release Date: 24 December 2013

Insidious Chapter 2 releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy) with the following extras:

- Peripheral Vision: Behind the Scenes

- Ghostly Transformation

- Haunted Hospital: On Location

- Leigh Whannell’s Insidious Journal

- Work in Progress: On Set Q&A

- Insidious: Spectral Sightings” 3-Part Webisodes

Related home video titles:

This movie is the sequel to Insidious. Another family struggles with supernatural connections in The Others and a young boy sees dead people in The Sixth Sense.