Is ‘Insidious’ based on a true story?

Are you really asking me if a movie about demonic possession is based on a true story? Fine, let’s shake things up, but be warned, the answer you’re looking for might not be the one you wanted. Cue the spooky music.

There’s a good reason why the Insidious series is one of the highest grossing horror franchises of all time — it’s pretty darn scary. I’m talking “cover your eyes and squeal scary.” Or at least that’s what I do. Don’t you judge me. Okay, so scary movies have never really been my bag, but boy do I love them anyway. Masochism is an art form, friends.

Since 2011, these tales of forbidden haunting have been seen all over the world, so could any of it be based on actual truth? Well, kind of. Director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell have both gone on the record to say that although none of the films are technically inspired by true events, they are inspired in part by real-life stories.

What is Insidious inspired by?

According to featurettes on the original film’s Blu-ray (via CinemaBlend), and interviews with the AV Club and JoBlo — Wan and Whannell dig directly into their creative inspirations, and some of them are real-ish. That is to say that real people have shared paranormal encounters with them over the years, and those wound up influencing Insidious outright.

Does anyone else feel a chill in the air?

When discussing the supernatural, and looking at the aforementioned evidence — certain things might be true. Having said that, all the information is (to put it nicely) a bit vague. Frankly, what did you expect? No filmmaker in their right mind would come out and say that they made it all up, that’s bad for business.

In order to cultivate the supernatural vibe they’re going for, James Wan and Leigh Whannell have to lean on their influences. It’s much scarier to think what you’re watching up on the big screen happened to a family near you, instead of thinking it was just made up by two dudes sitting around somewhere.

When it’s all said and done though, does it really matter whether or not Insidious is based on a true story in the first place? These movies are meant to entertain us, and they certainly do a good job at that. With Insidious: The Red Door releasing this July, I have no doubt that things will only get scarier for the Lambert family. Here’s hoping.