It’s Patrick Wilson’s turn to be possessed in “Insidious: Chapter 2”

Patrick Wilson marks his third back-to-back collaboration with acclaimed horror director James Wan with Sony Pictures’ scary thriller “Insidious: Chapter 2” which continues the story of the Lambert family’s life-and-death struggle with malignant spirits bent on destroying their lives.

In addition to the 2011 original “Insidious,” Wilson also starred in Wan’s recent global hit “The Conjuring.”

The first “Insidious” centered on the troubles of the Lamberts, a suburban family who leave their haunted house for a new home, only to learn it’s not their house that is haunted—it’s their eldest son. “Insidious: Chapter 2” rejoins the family as they try to put their recent troubles behind them, but discover that the spirits that have tormented them are far from finished.

Wilson reprises the character of Josh Lambert who is hardly the same person he was in the first film. “He’s literally vacant because he’s possessed,” explains the actor. “We know that he’s possessed, but will his wife, Renai find out? It’s structured like a murder mystery with this husband and wife not getting along and her trying to figure out why that is. She wants to believe her husband, but he’s acting bizarrely.”

In fact, Wilson’s character is so different that it’s essentially a new role for the actor, says co-screenwriter Leigh Whannell. “Patrick had such a good role and a good time because he’s actually not playing Josh Lambert from the first film, and he really took to that. He ate it up. He couldn’t get enough of it and he really contributed so much to making the film work with his character.”

Indeed, Wilson says he relished playing the Lambert father under the control of a sinister spirit. “For me, those moments when I’m ‘possessed Josh’ and mowing through doors and walls are the most fun,” he recalls. “It’s a great release.”

Wilson says he was never a big fan of horror films that reveled in gore, but has always responded to those that focus on more human elements. “It was those films that didn’t rely on a lot of tricks that terrified me as a kid,” he remembers. “They were human stories. And that’s what interested me with this film. It feels like an adult drama played out as a horror movie, and it also has humorous elements. For me, whether it’s a horror movie, an action movie, a comedy, whatever, you have to care about the people. And specifically in a horror movie you have to be rooting for people, especially when they’re a family in peril.”

The actor praises director James Wan for his ability to move beyond genre tropes and create a character-driven horror film.

“He can construct these scares and knows this genre better than anyone,” Wilson says. “He’s just one of the most creative filmmakers we have. I wouldn’t work with him so much if I didn’t feel that, and I’m lucky that he wants to work with me. Most of all, he understands that in order for people to get invested in these characters you have to let them breathe; you have to hear their story.”

Opening across the Philippines on Sept. 18, “Insidious: Chapter 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.