Insidious: The Red Door is currently playing in cinemas and the series has come a long way since the 2011 original, which earned a very healthy $100 million on a modest $1.5 million budget. Insidious was the third horror collaboration between director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell, whose then-back catalogue included Saw and Dead Silence.
Insidious followed the Lambert family who battle a paranormal presence when the oldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls into a coma. Chapter 2 was a direct sequel to the original, whereas both Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key were prequels that primarily focussed on psychic paranormal investigator Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) in favour of the Lambert’s. Insidious: The Red Door picks up nine years later after the events of Chapter 2 and is supposedly the final installment, providing audiences closure on the Lambert family.
With the exception of Insidious: Chapter 3, the four sequels have generated a mixed-to-negative critical reception, although they’ve been better received by audiences.
It’s impressive that even after five films, there hasn’t been one outright disaster. Most horror series tend to decline in quality far quicker, although there are certainly three films in the series of significantly greater quality than two of them. Here’s my ranking of the series.
5) Insidious: The Last Key
The weakest entry in the series by some distance, The Last Key is set between Chapter 3 and the original. Adam Robitel is in the director’s chair and does an admirable job but doesn’t have the skill in crafting tension like Wan and Whannell can. The film begins with a powerful extended sequence which introduces and explores Elise’s difficult childhood and dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, the rest of the film never lives up to the strong opening and its mechanical jump scares are dismally second-rate. On the plus side, Lin Shaye makes for a reliable lead and there’s some good performances from Tessa Ferrer and Josh Stewart as her parents, as well as Bruce Davison as her younger brother.
4) Insidious: The Red Door
The latest (and supposedly final film) in the series, Insidious: The Red Door returns to the Lambert family and is the directorial debut of actor Patrick Wilson. The film opens on the funeral of Lorraine Lambert (Barbara Hershey) and we learn that Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) are now divorced. It’s time for Dalton (Ty Simpkins) to head to college and Josh decides to take him to try and heal their strained relationship, only for their supernatural past to rear its ugly head once again. Wilson’s directorial debut is a mixed bag – it’s quite different from its predecessors in that it’s a drama film at its core rather than a horror. He crafts a gripping family dynamic and takes his time with the characters, the first two acts a slow burn that deftly explore the theme of generational trauma. Once again, there’s some excellent performances, particularly from Simpkins, Wilson and newcomer Sinclair Daniel. Unfortunately, the film falls short in its sudden rush to the finish and the film falling short as a horror. This is by far, the least scariest film in the series and it also frustratingly seems to undermine the previous film’s logic as to how The Further operates. While Insidious: The Red Door has more than its fair share of problems, there’s still plenty to admire here and I’m glad Wilson took a risk.
3) Insidious: Chapter 2
Insidious: Chapter 2 received mixed reviews on its release and granted, it does lose some of its originality that the first film had but there are still some top rate scares here and a very interesting storyline, which returning director James Wan prioritises over the horror. Picking up immediately after the original, Chapter 2 successfully expands the mythology and framework of The Further which the series would then go onto develop even more. Patrick Wilson turns in an entertaining performance as the possessed Josh, riffing on Jack Nicholson’s Danny Torrance in The Shining.
2) Insidious: Chapter 3
An underrated sequel, Insidious: Chapter 3 represents then-writer Leigh Whannell’s directorial debut, who would then go onto make Upgrade and The Invisible Man. Whannell decides to opt down the prequel route and focus on a new family, the Brenner’s. Quinn (Stefanie Scott) is grieving the death of her mother and despite a warning from Elise to exercise caution, is stalked by a dark spirit wearing an oxygen mask, known as The Man Who Can’t Breathe. It’s an assured effort from Whannell, who crafts some memorable scares and oddly empathetic villain who, in my opinion, is the most effective of the series. It’s also got surprising thematic depth with its emotive exploration of death and familial loss.
1) Insidious
The film that started it all is the best and although Insidious seems to begin as a somewhat conventional supernatural horror (albeit with quality jump scares), James Wan deftly takes his time before unearthing the supernatural elements in the second and third acts, while packing in some intelligent twists and turns. It’s a thrilling horror that flips the haunted house horror convention on its head by revolving the haunting around a person. The Lambert family are well-developed and are smart characters, unafraid to leave the house or turn a light on. Wan’s variation of jump scares is particularly impressive, especially his ability to unleash horror on the family in broad daylight, something the majority of horrors are guilty of avoiding.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or tweet @TheFilmMeister
The Film Meister 
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