Leigh Whannell Gets an Upgrade

Insidious creator gets techno, and talks the Blumhouse model

"...and goriest moments in the Saw and Insidious franchises, Leigh Whannell has become a modern horror master. His new..."

May 31, 2018 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Insidious: Chapter 3

The original screenwriter of the horror franchise assumes the direction of this supernatural prequel

"...Directed by: Leigh Whannell. Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Angus..."

June 12, 2015 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Insidious: The Last Key

Ghostly goings-on continue in franchise's fourth part

"...Directed by: Adam Robitel. Starring: Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Josh Stewart, Caitlin Gerard, Spencer Locke, Javier Botet,..."

Jan. 12, 2018 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Dead Silence

A supernatural thriller about a ventriloquist who goes mad, from the team that brought us Saw.

"...alongside Argento's vague and vacuous protagonists (think of hapless Leigh McCloskey in Inferno). Dead Silence feels like a Seventies..."

March 23, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Insidious: Chapter 2

All the same gang's back for this follow-up to the hit spooker.

"...Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Lin Shaye, Steve Coulter and Tom..."

Sept. 20, 2013 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Insidious

Insidious, from the original Saw team, lacks thrills and originality.

"...Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Barbara Hershey and Andrew Astor...."

April 1, 2011 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Upgrade

Surprisingly smart techno-thriller goes for the brain and the jugular

"...Directed by: Leigh Whannell. Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Simon Maiden, Betty Gabriel, Michael..."

June 1, 2018 Movie Review by Matthew Monagle

The Invisible Man

Universal Monsters update thrills as a high-octane Gaslight

"...Directed by: Leigh Whannell. Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet..."

Feb. 28, 2020 Movie Review by Matthew Monagle

Cooties

A horror-comedy about kids turning to zombies and the teachers they hope to feast on

"...Starring: Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Nasim Pedrad, Ian Brennan and Armani Jackson...."

Sept. 18, 2015 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Hunt

Scathing action-satire is more than Elites versus Deplorables

"...fight scene that's reminiscent of both Kill Bill and Leigh Whannel's camera-flipping, teeth-shaking work in Upgrade...."

March 13, 2020 Movie Review by Richard Whittaker

SXSW Film Review: Upgrade

Cyberpunk action thriller has a few hidden features

"...track record at the box office. Moreover, Insidious creator Leigh Whannell's script has been sitting around since at least..."

March 19, 2018 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Saw

Saw is indeed a horror movie, but not necessarily in the manner the filmmakers intended.

"...Directed by: James Wan. Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Keung, Dina Meyer, Monica Potter..."

Oct. 29, 2004 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Insidious: The Red Door

Time to tiptoe through the tulips once again

"...Wan left the series after the second film, both Leigh Whannell and Adam Robitel sat in the director’s chair..."

July 14, 2023 Movie Review by Jenny Nulf

Spiral

Chris Rock reinvents the horror morality tale for the BLM era

"...entire time. Spiral embodies the franchise James Wan and Leigh Whannell built, while being totally refurbished for a new..."

May 14, 2021 Movie Review by Jenny Nulf

Venom

Spider-Man's nemesis gets a spin-off without web-head

"...Which symbiotic action movie starring sorta-Tom Hardy is better? Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade caught audiences by surprise by showcasing inventive..."

Oct. 12, 2018 Movie Review by Matthew Monagle

Jigsaw

The Saw character returns

"...gore-heavy franchises, Saw’s original helmer James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell initiated a blood-spattered, extreme horror cinema renaissance that..."

Nov. 3, 2017 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Furious 7

Furiouser and furiouser

"...to incoming director James Wan, who, with fellow Aussie Leigh Whannell, brought us the Saw and Insidious films, is..."

April 3, 2015 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

SXSW Film Releases Full Feature Lineup

Slate includes everyone from Wes Anderson to the Zellners

"...The Mule (Australia) Directors: Angus Sampson, Tony Mahony, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson In 1983, a naive man is..."

Jan. 30, 2014 Screens Post by Monica Riese

Saw IV

Jigsaw died in Saw III but here we get to witness his autopsy, stem to stern, thus giving him not only the last laugh, but Being and Nothingness, as well.

"...will be … left foot red.") James Wan and Leigh Whannell's hyper-enthusiastic exercise in Ramones-style psychotherapy has become, improbably,..."

Nov. 2, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Saw II

With nary a decent, connective character in sight, this nasty sequel quickly becomes little more than a strenuous battle for survival among the already damned.

"...be flayed off, and director Bousman and returning screenwriter Leigh Whannell appear to be having some wicked good fun..."

Oct. 28, 2005 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

SXSW Panel Recap: The Bleeding Edge: A New Generation of Horror

Is horror more diverse than the rest of cinema? Maybe.

"...Leigh Whannell, who is in Austin with darkly comedic cyber-thriller..."

March 14, 2018 SXSW Post by Richard Whittaker

Unleashing the Summer Blockbusters

Your cinematic calendar for the must-see big releases

"...meets machine and chaos ensues in this cyberthriller from Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious). June 8..."

May 18, 2018 Screens Feature by Richard Whittaker

SXSW Announces Audience Awards

First Match, All Square lead narratives

"...Midnighters: Upgrade (D: Leigh Whannell) Screens tonight: Alamo Lamar, 11pm..."

March 17, 2018 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

#MeToo, Time's Up Panels Lead SXSW Speaker List

Conference speaker list also adds Sanders, Schwarzenegger

"...Generation of Horror featuring Vera Miao (Sentence Horror Stories), Leigh Whannell (Saw), Roxanne Benjamin (Southbound, V/H/S), Stephen Susco (The..."

Feb. 21, 2018 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Wes Anderson Brings Isle of Dogs to SXSW

Plus Midnighters bring the gore, and Alita party

"...Upgrade D: Leigh Whannell In a utopian near-future when technology controls everything,..."

Feb. 7, 2018 SXSW Post by Richard Whittaker

Things That Go Bump in the Blumhouse

As "Oculus" opens, producer Jason Blum on suburbs and franchises

"...(Sinister director) Scott Derrickson love it. James Wan and Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 2) love it. And when you..."

April 11, 2014 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Last Shotgun Blast of SXSW Film Programming

'Hobo,' Spike's 'Scenes From the Suburbs,' and more

"...Brian Downey, Nick Bateman Insidious Director: James Wan, Writer: Leigh Whannell Dark spirits have possessed the home of a..."

Feb. 10, 2011 Screens Post by Kimberley Jones

Rube Goldberg Spins in Grave, Invents Coolest Coffin Ever

Notes on Rube Goldberg and "The Collector"

"...name, but his influence is all over the James Wan/Leigh Whannell Saw franchise. The series, with its increasingly gruesome..."

July 23, 2009 Screens Post by Marc Savlov

Death Sentence

Vigilantism is alive and flourishing in this revenge thriller from James Wan, the so-called Splat Pack director of the original Saw movie.

"...Aisha Tyler, Matt O'Leary, Jordan Garrett, Stuart Lafferty and Leigh Whannell. Vigilantism is alive and flourishing in Death Sentence,..."

Sept. 7, 2007 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten