This reimagining of the Stephen King tale sees Carrie White (Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her religious mother (Moore), reign terror on her small town via telekinesis after being pushed too far at her senior prom. The film remains faithful to both the book and the original movie released in 1976, with a few minor glitch-fixes and added layers that were originally in King’s book.

Chris (Doubleday) terrifyingly pushes Carrie to the edge in a plot to humiliate her at the school’s prom. But that goes horrifically wrong in what is an amazingly scary affair that can be compared to Mean Girls, with a lot of gory blood.

Carrie, as a movie, revels in the scenes that show the ultimate chaos which Carrie, the character, can cause. Director Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) delivers more sensitivity in this version than the original, which makes all the carnage more satisfying.

While Carrie is entertaining for that carnage, it is also intriguing as a movie as it explores themes including hormonal confusion, teenage bullying and religious fervour in a collected manner without going over the top – all with a tense feeling throughout that gives chills up the proverbial spine.

Insidious: Chapter 2 is a horror thriller, the sequel to 2010’s Insidious. It stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, who return as Josh and Renai Lambert, a husband and wife who seek to uncover a secret that has left them dangerously in contact with the spirit world.

The film’s director is James Wan with regular collaborator and fellow Aussie Leigh Whannell penning the screenplay. Previously, the duo created the initial story and characters for the Saw horror films.

The main challenge for a horror sequel like Insidious: Chapter 2 is that it’s more difficult to mystify and scare audiences the second time around. Those familiar with the first instalment of Insidious will applaud the way in which Whannell has rewritten the rules when it comes to follow-up films.

Featuring plenty of references to the original film as well as wrapping up all loose ends, Insidious: Chapter 2 is a prime example of a properly executed sequel. With all of the characters returning and all of the questions from the original being answered Wan and Whannell refuse to short-change the audience.

Another positive aspect of this sequel is that it actually scares. The evil spirits are more effective as real figures and more complex characters than simply through possessions and supernatural activities.

Insidious: Chapter 2 is one of the best efforts from the Wan/Whannell stable of horror films.