All 4 Insidious movies ranked from worst to best

1. Insidious

Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne star as Josh and Renai Lambert, respectively, in the first-ever Insidious movie. Released in 2011, the original entry is without a doubt the best of the bunch. The acting, world-building, and suspense throughout set this one apart from the rest. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two best in the franchise were directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell. They’re a great duo.

As mentioned earlier, the first movie revolves around Josh and Renai trying to figure out what’s happened to their son Dalton. As they team up with a psychic named Elise, the Lamberts unravel the mystery behind their son’s haunting and encounter evil spirits along the way.

Insidious is the creepiest movie of the series, and some of its best moments are because of the eerie atmosphere and tension throughout. There’s so much suspense that it’s difficult not to be on the edge of your seat waiting for something to pop out. And things definitely do. One critique of the movie is that it relies too much on jump scares, but I think they use just the right amount. Some of the scariest parts include the Red-Faced Demon jump scare and the “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” scene.

It’s no surprise Insidious was a success at the box office — especially compared to its low budget of $1.5 million — bringing in about $100 million worldwide. It’s one of the best horror movies of the 2010s and is always fun as a rewatch.

Don’t miss Insidious: The Red Door, coming to theaters on July 7.