'Insidious: Red Door' Digital Movie Review
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 26 September 2023 18:54
- Written by Lupe R Haas
The final chapter of the Lambert family nightmare with The Further is a satisfying ending to the horror franchise, although the new revelations in the sequel don't quite add up.
The story picks up years after the events of INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2. Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is college-bound, and his relationship with his father Josh is strained. There is no mention of the events of the last time we saw the Dalton family when Josh was possessed by the demon and Elise (Lin Shaye) was killed.
Patrick Wilson makes his directorial debut, and the actor/director keeps the spirit of the franchise with all its creepy imagery. He’s more than capable in the director's chair, as a horror genre veteran (THE CONJURING franchise) who has learned how to deliver the scares.
Interview with Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Lin Shaye
The best scene by far in any recent horror movie has to be Josh in a cylindrical (tube-shaped) MRI machine. Anyone with claustrophobia will appreciate how frightening that experience is in real life, coupled with ghouls coming after you, the dread is amplified.
Scott Teems's screenplay brings some freshness to the tired franchise by focusing on the grown-up Dalton rather than his parents (Wilson, Rose Byrne) although Wilson’s Josh is a big part of the story. Byrne is missed as she is relegated to a cameo appearance, but it was a good decision story-wise.
However, from the start, you’re questioning how Josh escaped the possession since the story picks up years later. There’s something off about Josh, but no answers are provided until midway through the film. The flashbacks, however, left me with more questions than answers.
There are new revelations about Josh’s past that don’t quite fit in the franchise’s mythology. The introduction of new information also doesn’t pay off in the end.
The grown-up Ty Simpkins from IRON MAN 3, JURASSIC WORLD and the first INSIDIOUS brings a low-key but soulful energy. For a boy stuck in The Further, it’s to be expected that Dalton won’t be a normal teen, and the actor delivers on that front.
To make up for Dalton’s quiet nature, actress Sinclair Daniel’s character brings the energy and magnetism as Dalton’s polar opposite.
The scare factor is high for those easily frightened especially with an eerie soundtrack.
RED DOOR closes the chapter on the INSIDIOUS movies. Is The Further behind the Dalton family? Probably for this family, but Hollywood never lets a franchise die so The Further will no doubt be back with all-new characters.
The fifth installment is now on Digital, and it’s definitely one to gather the clan around the television for a communal experience.