Blu-ray

In the best instalment yet in the supernatural fright franchise from the people behind the Saw movies, psychic medium Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) comes out of self-imposed retirement to help a bedridden young girl battle the ghosts that are plaguing her.

While the previous Insidious films told a linked story, this third outing dials back the clock in order to allow Shaye's character to take centre stage. It's a canny decision that gives the film considerable emotional depth as the character must battle her own demons as well as the more literal ones.

Praise must also go to series writer and actor Leigh Whannell who makes his directorial debut here (previous franchise helmer James Wan was too busy playing cars with Vin Diesel in Fast & Furious 7). Not only does he get excellent performances from the cast, he also proves capable of conjuring up some truly nightmarish scenes, not least one where the malevolent spirit's teenage victim (Stefanie Scott) lies incapacitated on the floor as something stalks slowly around her, shutting off all remaining sources of light.

Insidious: Chapter 3 is an effective piece of jump-scare filmmaking. And one populated by well-developed characters that you can actually believe in. Call us pleasantly surprised.

Picture: This Blu-ray release conjures up a wonderful AVC-encoded 2.40:1 1080p encode. Colours are stable and varied, veering from warmly saturated reds to the ice-cold blues of the 'Further', while flesh tones look natural. Black levels appear infinitely deep, while the excellent shadow delineation helps keep you looking for hints of the horrors that may be lurking in the dark. Indeed, fine object detailing is a real strong point for the encode, with finely-honed textures evident in every shot.
Picture rating: 5/5

Audio: Insidious: Chapter 3's DTS-HD MA 5.1 track follows the tried-and-trusted approach of 'quiet-quiet-LOUD'. Thankfully, the mix's dynamic range is more than up to the task; just as happy with hushed dialogue as it is with sudden bursts of screeching strings that will have you leaping out of your recliner. The soundtrack's use of surround and bass channels is also first-rate.
Audio rating: 4.5/5

Extras: Best of the disc's modest assortment of extras are the three behind-the-scenes featurettes (Macabre Creations, Stunts: The Car Crash and Origin Story: The Making of Chapter 3). Rather less exciting are a chat with a 'real' psychic medium and another with soundtrack band Cherry Glazerr. Rounding things off are three deleted scenes.
Extras rating: 2/5

We say: The third time really is the charm for the popular horror franchise with this enjoyably scary sequel

Insidious: Chapter 3, EntertainmentOne, Region B BD, £23 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 3.5/5