Insidious: The Red Door (2023) Dir. Patrick Wilson

“Sink deep into your memory and let's see what light can find”

13 years ago James Wan and Leigh Whannell opened the now infamous red door into The Further, introducing us to the world of Insidious.

This latest instalment, directed by series star Patrick Wilson, brings audiences back into the troubled lives of the Lambert family to explore how they have coped with the trauma from the first two chapters; the evil that was once thought banished and forgotten has begun to torment father and son once again.

Will they finally be able to bring themselves back into the light or will these twisted spirits lurking in the shadows drag them into the dark for good?

This film takes place almost a decade after we last saw the Lambert family fight with the sinister spirts hiding behind the red door, an entrance to The Further; a realm between life and death. Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) now share a tenuous relationship, marred by the years between films and their fractured memories.

We find the pair slowly remembering what they were forced to forget at the end of the second chapter; now the demons of their past once again terrorise their dreams. The narrative relies heavily on the audience knowing the events of previous films – though the feature does spend a great deal of time re-establishing what has already occurred.

This could leave a new audience bombarded by heavy exposition, alienated by the spotlight being on refences to earlier films a little too long, while veterans of the series find themselves bored by drawn out recaps. It’s a fine line trying to draw new viewers into a fifth instalment of a series while also catering to the fans, it’s one The Red Door unfortunately doesn’t draw all too well.

Though the film is an excellent exploration into the trauma and fallout the Lamberts have experienced. What once may have seemed like a happy ending now finds our protagonists worn down and torn apart; Ty Simpkins plays the angst-ridden artsy teenager well, with a manic ferocity when it comes to his artwork and genuine sense of tenderness when his cold façade is broken down. Some of the most memorable scenes are of Simpkins violently scrawling charcoal across his canvas, crafting demonic visages.

Sinclair Daniel plays his college roommate Chris and the pair have great chemistry on-screen as they quickly develop a strong bond. Though some of their more humorously written dialogue often comes across clunky and tonally out of place. Patrick Wilson brings his all to every scene as patriarch of the Lambert family, exploding with emotions and playing a truly sympathetic father – one who deeply cares but fails to be there for his son as he is lost in the distant fog of his own fragmented mind.

Wilson also manages to juggle this performance with directing the feature, his debut effort. Clearly he has been paying close attention while working across his many haunted roles, including the Conjuring series, as this doesn’t feel like a freshman outing – there's a sense of confidence, adept at his craft Wilson keeps things exciting throughout.

There is a constant sense of motion to the cinematography that gives each scene a real sense of forward momentum and urgency. There were a few moments when things began to feel stagnant, but they were completely overshadowed by the dynamic camerawork throughout. Gone is the odd charm of the earlier entries, replaced by a more polished and modern horror aesthetic.

This leaves the film feeling noticeably distinct in comparison to other in the series, but personally I found this to be a breath of fresh air. Wilson consistently builds the tension high, each time breaking it down with a difficult to anticipate scare – those looking for a few good jumps will be pleased with what terrors he manages to conjure up.

There are plenty less fine qualities that one could focus on when watching this feature, such as the rest of the Lambert family having little screen time or overall effect on the narrative. It’s by no means perfect, but I feel it’s a satisfying conclusion for the journey this family – especially Josh and Dalton – have been on. There are moments for long-time fans to have a little cheer, plenty of scares and some hellish ghouls crawling forth from The Further. A fitting end to the original story of this series, though is the red door truly closed for good?

★★★

3 / 5

Douglas Doba

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