Hollywood's 'scariest horror film in decades' now free to stream in time for Halloween

A modern horror classic dubbed one of Hollywood's 'scariest ever' films is now free to stream just in time for Halloween. The first instalment of the Insidious series can be added to your itinerary for spooky season, revered as it is among classics such as The Walking Dead franchise or director James Wan's other horror hit series, The Conjuring.

This 2010 release depicts the Lamberts, a family whose son, Dalton, unexpectedly falls into a comatose state. Soon after, his parents, portrayed by The Conjuring's Patrick Wilson and 28 Weeks Later's Rose Byrne, realise it's not their house to blame for the mysterious ongoings, but their son.

Dalton has become a vessel for demonic spirits from an astral plane called The Further, in which his spirit has become trapped, requiring paranormal investigators to help his father venture into this dark dimension to rescue Dalton's soul.

"I think it's very good, one of the best horror films, it has many scares and doesn't bore you," Juan Torres writes on Rotten Tomatoes in one of thousands of five-star reviews.

Insidious is now free to stream in the UK via the Plex streaming platform, featuring ads. Viewers are able to sign up to Plex's free service to access more great movies to watch, but can also watch the horror flick without doing so.

Juan's review continues: "Although it seems a bit old...the whole plot is too good, it's very good to watch with friends and family who like horror."

Many of Hollywood's most terrifying jump scares are strewn throughout the movie's one-hour-and-forty-minute runtime, as well as one of modern horror's most eerie song choices.

The haunting ring of Tiny Tim's 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips', sung in a high falsetto voice, plays over one of the scariest sequences of the entire Insidious franchise as wife Renai unpacks the family's belongings for their new, thought-to-be unhaunted, home - before a small boy appears in the corner of the frame dancing to the spooky tune.

Rotten Tomatoes user Jordan B writes: "This underrated work of art is my favourite horror movie of all time (as a standalone film, ignoring the plethora of honestly unnecessary sequels).

"Insidious is grim, terrifying and uses its soundtrack to further deepen the viewer's sense of anxiety and dread, most famously with 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' by Tiny Tim. 10/10, this movie deserves way more respect than it gets in the horror community."

To date, five Insidious movies have been released, largely owing to the success of the first film, with a sixth slated to hit cinemas in 2026.

Insidious picked up two Fright Meter Awards, for Best Horror Movie and Best Supporting Actress for Lin Shaye, and the IGN Summer Movie Award for Best Horror Movie in 2011. It also received nods from the Scream Awards and the Golden Schmoes Awards.