Insidious: The Red Door
review by Bobby Blakey
Before bringing us the Conjuring Universe, the team that brought us SAW, James Wan and LeighWhannell brought the world Insidious. After its success in 2010 it spawned three sequels with one actually serving as a prequel. Now after almost five years the next chapter, Insidious: The Red Door is almost here starring Patrick Wilson (also making his directorial debut), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor, Sinclair Daniel and Hiam Abbass. Could this final chapter bring the story to a close or will it fail to shut the door?
Insidious: The Red Door follows the final chapter of the Lambert family’s terrifying saga. To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh and a college-aged Dalton must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.
I love this series in all its forms even though like most there have been ups and downs. With this new and likely final chapter heading back to the original story I was even more excited to see where they would take it. My biggest fear is that it was going to start just feeling like it is getting rehashed for a money grab. Thankfully it is doing something new and different with the story that I think worked great, but likely won’t work for everyone.
While there are jump scares and trips to the Further as expected the majority of the film is dealing with both the fallout of the events of the second film and the PTSD that both Dalton and Josh are dealing with. The story is primarily focused on Dalton bringing his story to college, offering up a new setting, but
also taking us on a journey with Josh as he tries to find his own way back to the light.
Both stories worked for me even if they felt greatly different than what came before it. The bigger settings in Dalton’s world sometimes takes the edge off what was so intimate in the original film, but at the same time helps to make it feel new. The pacing is a bit slow at times and takes quite some time before much happens with the Further, but once it gets there it steps up enough to remind you of the franchise it is a part of. The usual expected visuals are there and some clever uses of the Further complete with connections to the original film that helps it come full circle.
This is more than just a straight horror sequel, but a character study of lost relationships, forgiveness, betrayal, fear and everything in between. We started this journey over ten years ago with a child taken by a demon and learned there was so much more to it. Now we are at the end seeing the growth and truth of it all come full circle and while not perfect I was satisfied with its finale. I hope this is the end for the franchise as I think it ends it well, but it is designed that they could return to it with new characters should they decide to down the line.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including featurettes taking fans behind this latest chapter of the popular franchise. Grab your copy of Insidious: The Red Door when it hits digital, Blu-ray and DVD on September 26th from Sony Home Entertainment.
