A One Mann’s Movies review of “Insidious: The Red Door” (2023).
I can’t claim to be an expert on the Insidious series of films. I think I might have seen the first couple. But they were released before I started doing these reviews, so my thoughts on them are lost in the mists of time. Now here comes the 5th in the series, and (intriguingly) we pick up effectively where “Insidious: Chapter 2” left off in 2013 with the same characters and indeed the same cast!
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) underwent hypnosis by Karl (Steve Coulter) to try to help them forget the supernatural horrors that they experienced. Now 9 years later with Dalton about to go off to art college, some of those memories are starting to reemerge from their subconcious.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong horror, threat”.)
Talent:
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbass, Steve Coulter, Lin Shaye.
Directed by: Patrick Wilson.
Written by: Leigh Whannell & Scott Teems.
Twitter Handle: #InsidiousMovie.
Who knows what is going off when you focus on your oblong? (Source: Blumhouse Productions).
“Insidious: The Red Door” Review:
Positives:
- The concept here of getting the original cast back together again from (what seems to be regarded by fans as) the last of the decent “Insidious” films was a good concept. Even the smaller part characters like Karl (Steve Coulter) and pseudo-scientist Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) return.
- The acting is all OK for a film of this type, and Wilkins and Simpkins bounce of each other very well. I particularly enjoyed Sinclair Daniel as the snarky college ‘roommate’ Chris – the co-sharing adds an interesting take on gender-blending – that befriends Dalton at college.
Negatives:
- There’s nothing terribly novel in here. The whole film reminded me of “Poltergeist”, with it’s trips into the astral world, not helped by the fact that Patrick Wilson bears an uncanny resemblence in my eyes to Craig T. Nelson who played the father in that film.
- All of the jump scares are pretty well signposted such that they didn’t remotely scare me. “Oh look – there’s a hole in the plaster in the dorm corridor – I bet a hand will suddenly come out of there at some point”. (Tick). “The guys in the MRI scanner – I bet a nasty creature is going to crawl in there after him. (Tick – although, to be fair, that image was quite well rendered).
- In the finale, everyone seems to get over their trauma immediately. It’s all “phew” and smiles as Dalton and Chris sit outside their college!
“Monkeys“
I must admit I didn’t stay for it (I had an urgent appointment with “Elemental”!) but I understand that despite the nice shrink-wrapped conclusion to this film that the “monkey” opens the door (pardon the pun) to yet another sequel.
Summary Thoughts on “Insidious: The Red Door”
This is actor Patrick Wilson’s directorial debut, so congrats to him that the film has been as successful as it has been ($77M on an estimated $16M budget). And its by no means a terrible film. But it’s another of those that I will struggle to remember in a few week’s time.
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Trailer for “Insidious: The Red Door”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuQuOnYnr3Q .
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