Time: 107 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence, offensive language & supernatural themes
Cast:
Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert
Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert
Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert
Sinclair Daniel as Chris Winslow
Hiam Abbass as Professor Armagan
Director: Patrick Wilson

Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son, Dalton, off at school. However, Dalton’s college dream soon becomes a living nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both.

In the lead up to its latest installment, I recently rewatched the Insidious movies. While they have a rather mixed reputation outside of maybe the first film from 2010, I do like the movies overall. The first two entries focussed on the Lambert family played by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, and the next two movies would focus on Lin Shaye’s character in the form of prequels. I was always going to be interested in a new Insidious movie but the fact that the next movie would return back to the Lambert family did interest me, not to mention that Wilson would be taking on the directing role himself. Having seen it, I wouldn’t say that The Red Door is among the best of the Insidious movies, but I still think it’s decent enough and I’m glad that I saw it.

I think the biggest thing working against the movie is that most of it surrounds a mystery that the two main characters are trying to solve, a mystery which anyone who has watched the first two movies already knows the answers to. So there aren’t any real significant twists and turns here. That said I wouldn’t say I was bored during the movie, I was following along fine and was interested to see what would happen next, but I was hoping for something more. For a movie called The Red Door, it’s not like you get some big revelations about the demons or entities. I do think the movie has a somewhat interesting approach however. It focuses on the effect of trauma on the main family, and while this aspect can feel a little half baked, it does feel heartfelt, especially towards the end. So yes, if you are fed up with those “it’s about trauma” horror movies of the past 5, then you’ll probably dislike this one too. I also appreciate how it doesn’t rely a lot on nostalgia; there are certainly a few cameos and callbacks, but they fit in the movie and don’t feel overly reliant on them. The Red Door plays less like a big dramatic conclusion and insteads opts to be more of a somber conclusion for the lead family. For some, that will be a dealbreaker, but I appreciated this approach.

Much of the main cast from the first two Insidious movies return, with Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins being the most prominent here, and they are both really good in their parts. I do wish we got to see more of the other family, most notably there isn’t as much Rose Byrne as I would’ve liked.

This is actor Patrick Wilson’s directorial debut, and while the movie itself could’ve been better, his direction was pretty good. It is one of the best shot movies of the Insidious franchise, and it has some striking imagery. While there are some creative sequences, one of which involves an MRI scan, I wouldn’t say that the scares are all that great. In fact, I would call this easily the least scary of the 5 movies.

Insidious: The Red Door has its faults and the horror aspect is a little lacking, but overall it is decent with some solid performances, direction and visuals. I think it’s a fitting enough send off for the franchise, and if it isn’t the end of the franchise, it probably should be. Clearly its not for everyone, judging by the mixed reactions, but if you liked most of the Insidious movies, I think The Red Door is worth watching.