Film Review - Insidious: The Red Door
Images courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Insidious: The Red Door is the fifth and supposedly final instalment in the Insidious franchise, directed by Patrick Wilson, who also reprises his role as Josh Lambert, the hapless father who can't seem to catch a break when it comes to demonic entities and their supernatural shenanigans - not to mention his strained relationship with his son, Dalton (still played by the all-grown-up Ty Simpkins). When Dalton's college art class begins to unearth flashbacks to the first two films, he and his father must once again venture into The Further, confronting their past and hopefully putting an end to the evil that haunts them.
Sounds fresh, right? The film suffers from a severe case of sequelitis, circling the drain of reasons why this franchise should continue even as it actively tries to put a cap on things. Plot contrivances and clichés that have plagued the horror genre for decades are all prevalent here, and the strained father-son relationship takes the cake. There's a large chunk in the middle that feels quite repetitive, and without any cards up its sleeve, it feels like we're just watching a hastily assembled collection of effective but ultimately hollow jumpscare setpieces. The Red Door is supposed to be the final, ultimate challenge for the Lamberts, but it turns out to be nothing more than a cheap gimmick that ultimately leads to a disappointing and predictable climax.
The film is not completely without merit, however. Patrick Wilson does a decent job making his behind-the-camera debut, creating some atmospheric and tense scenes that evoke a potent sense of dread while still feeling very much in the visual wheelhouse of the franchise, even if they're not delivered with quite as much finesse as Wan's first entry. Likewise, Wilson continues to deliver the goods in front of the lens, as do Simpkins and Byrne despite the lengthy period of time they've all spent out of their respective roles. There's also some much appreciated levity from Dalton's dormmate, Sinclair (Chris Winslow), one of the few saving graces keeping my mild interest in an otherwise dull, cookie-cutter narrative.
Not many scenes in the latest Insidious are particularly bad, but not many scenes that are particularly good either. It's a mediocre and forgettable conclusion to a franchise that started off strong but quickly lost its steam, surviving purely off audiences' demands for a steady supply of horror films. It might appeal to die-hard fans who want to see how it all ends, but for casual viewers who are looking for a fresh and exciting horror experience, it winds up feeling more like this door could've stayed shut.
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Insidious: The Red Door is screening from Thursday 6th July. For tickets and more info, visit the Sony Pictures Australia website.