Sunday, 20 August 2023

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)


"The Fifth One"


It's still in cinemas and is about to come out on Digital from Sony, but before we get stuck into the latest (and apparently final) entry in the INSIDIOUS saga, let's just quickly check on the timeline of the movies in the franchise so far, just so everything's clear. If you want to watch them in chronological order they go:


INSIDIOUS 3 (2015)

INSIDIOUS 4: THE LAST KEY (2018)

INSIDIOUS (2010)

INSIDIOUS 2 (2013)

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (2023)


So with this one we're back with Patrick Wilson and his family in a movie that follows on from 2013's INSIDIOUS 2. Josh Lambert (Wilson) and his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins, also from the previous films) have had the memories of their adventures in the supernatural realm 'The Further' wiped from their minds by an amazing piece of hypnosis / screenwriting. That hasn't helped the family much, though, and Josh is now divorced with the kids living with wife Renai (Rose Byrne, back again for a bit). 



When moody goth Dalton goes to college to study art, his professor (Hiam Abbass) encourages him to look deep within himself for inspiration which leads to the unlocking of all sorts of supernatural horrors.

        Eventually.



Because that's the main problem with INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR. It takes an absolute age to build up any head of steam and by the time it does the scares are few and the film is over. Patrick Wilson is in the director's chair as well this time and seems to have been much more interested in scenes of family drama (ie people shouting at each other) than in crafting scares. As a result this is a rather more disappointing entry than Adam Robitel's previous INSIDIOUS 4: THE LAST KEY.



That said, INSIDIOUS THE RED DOOR has made a huge amount of money ($185 million off a $16 million budget) so it may be just the kind of thing audiences want right now. Plus, as always, that figure is highly suggestive this might not be the final film in the franchise after all.


INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR is out in cinemas now and on Digital from Sony on Monday 21st August. 


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