James Wan uses silence, creaking floorboards, and sudden orchestral swells to build tension. Low-quality audio compression flattens these sounds, removing the directional cues that make you feel surrounded.

Insidious Chapter 2 had a budget of approximately $5 million. The success of the film allowed James Wan and Leigh Whannell to create more original horror (like The Conjuring 2 and Malignant ).