In terms of iconic horror movies about hauntings and the spirit world, two of the biggest titles to ever do it have been the Poltergeist movies from the 1980s and the Insidious movies from the 2010s. Though made decades apart, the two have a lot in common and have brushed up against many notable figures within the genre and the movie industry in general. But which series of movies is the best according to the critics?
To create a clearer map of each franchise's history, and their place within horror movie history, let's look at all of the movies and their scores on review aggregate site Metacritic.
Poltergeist III - 40
The final part of the original Poltergeist movie trilogy earned substantially less at the box office than its predecessors. This may be due to several factors, including general franchise fatigue, a loss of main cast members from the first two movies, or the change made to the setup of the franchise, going for a more Die Hard aesthetic contained within one skyscraper. Which is interesting, considering that Die Hard premiered in theaters two days after Poltergeist III.
A large part of it, however, is the sad fact that 12-year-old Heather O'Rourke, the main returning cast member of the movie and the pivotal character of the trilogy, died months before the movie's release, souring the experience substantially.
Insidious: Chapter 2 - 40
Unlike many early horror franchise installments, original director James Wan stuck around in that role for the first sequel with writing partner Leigh Whannell returning as the movie's screenwriter also.
Even though it was over double the budget of the original movie, and not as well-received by critics, Insidious: Chapter 2 was considerably more successful at the box office and decided the title as a franchise with some staying power.
Poltergeist (2015) - 47
A straight remake of the original 1982 Poltergeist movie, the 2015 version was not badly received by either critics or general audiences yet is mostly already forgotten even in discussions about forgettable horror remakes.
When considering that half the battle in such cases is in not enraging an old fanbase, the movie can be considered quite successful though it failed to kickstart the movie series back to life.
Insidious: The Last Key - 49
The second of two prequel movies focussing more on Lin Shaye's psychic medium character, Elise, from the first two movies, The Last Key delves further into the character's past and bringing the whole series full circle in a narrative sense.
Despite being the highest-grossing movie of the franchise at the box office, the fourth entry spelled the end of the Insidious movies as it left nowhere else for the story to go.
Poltergeist II: The Other Side - 49
Though neither of the main creative driving forces behind the camera on the original movie returned for The Other Side, a large part of the main cast did and the sequel fleshed out the story of the first installment whilst also delivering a memorably creepy villain who would go on to appear in the next movie also.
Poltergeist II, as its score reflects, received mixed reviews from critics and was not as big a hit at the box office as the original but it was ultimately nominated for an Oscar in the Best Visual Effects category, losing out to James Cameron's Aliens.
Insidious: Chapter 3 - 52
Screenwriter Leigh Whannell took over directing duties from Wan on the third Insidious movie and began an only increasingly glowing reputation as a horror director amongst critics.
Chapter 3 also provided fans with an origin story for the ghosthunting crew seen in the original movie, placing Whannell in front of the camera also for a large chunk of the movie as series mainstay character Specs.
Insidious - 52
The original Insidious movie from the writing/directing/producing team of Leigh Whannell and James Wan, who broke through in the low-budget horror scene together with their movie Saw and went on to become two of the most well-known blockbuster directors of recent years, proved that the two had more to offer than gore.
The movie saw a similar level of success to their first Saw movie but would provide a creative springboard for Wan into the massively popular Conjuring universe, which shares a similar theme and tone as well as leading man Patrick Wilson.
Poltergeist (1982) - 79
Though rumors have swirled for decades in the movie community that the original Poltergeist was actually helmed by producer and writer Steven Spielberg rather than credited director Tobe Hooper, the end result was iconic for the horror genre and critics have never complained about any tonal or aesthetic confusion in the final cut.
Similarly to Insidious, the movie was a big step back in terms of gore for Hooper, most often remembered as the director of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, allowing the movie to reach a much wider audience while being no less nightmare-inducing.