I decided to watch the “Insidious” franchise in chronological, not theatrical release order starting with “Insidious: Chapter 3” (2015), “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018), “Insidious” (2010) and “Insidious: Chapter 2” (2013) to prepare for “Insidious: Out of the Further” (2026), so “Insidious: The Red Door” (2023) is fifth on the list. Patrick Wilson directs, acts and even sings a cover of Shakespeare’s Sister’s “Stay,” and gosh darn it, it is good, y’all. It also appears that it may be a family affair with his kids and wife in small supporting roles. Does that mean “Insidious: Out of the Future” is going to suck? Yikes.
If you did not see “Insidious” or “Insidious: Chapter 2,” there will be spoilers so consider yourself warned. It has been nine years since Josh (Wilson) and his son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), escaped The Further and requested that they be hypnotized so that they could both forget about astral projection and not attract the dead and entities who want to possess them. The side effects are disastrous with Josh and Dalton going through the motions of a father-son relationship. Instead of being close, they act obligated as if it is a grim duty. Josh is disconnected with memory issues, which seems to worsen after his mother’s death. Meanwhile Dalton is still the wan, withdrawn, depressed kid just grown, and if they ever reboot “Supernatural,” Simpkins may make a better Sam than Jared Padilecki. Dalton is off to art college, and his studies bring back his memories, which result in strange dreams and waking occurrences for father and son leaving them grasping for answers and still unable to connect.
“Insidious: The Red Door” is the most different from all the prior movies. It is psychological horror about father and son issues, death, grief and differences, but it is also horror. Because it is billed as the last Lambert family film, it does feel as if either of them could die. Who knew that suppressing memories and emotions would be a problem, guys! If you have ever known anyone with dementia, the delusions that they experience which prevent them from sharing reality and community with others is the emotional bedrock of this story that Scott Teems wrote and conceived with Leigh Whannell. It not only keeps them separate from each other, but others when they need community the most. Teems is usually not the best writer, (“Halloween Kills,” “Firestarter,” “The Exorcist: Believer”), and this movie may be his best effort. It is the first movie that does away with the haunted house trope, relegates the paranormal investigators to the borders, often occurs in the day or with others present and are separate from people who know them well as they try to solve what is going on. Reunion feels like a catharsis and does not have to be literal. It is also a solid coming of age and empty nest story.
Wilson really acts in “Insidious: The Red Door.” He lays the dad vibes on thick with the help of wardrobe and appears as if he lost weight for the role. Before things get creepy, emotionally Josh is a mess: scared, irritable and lost. His attempts to bond with Dalton fail miserably. Instead of running away from his problems, he realizes that he is risking losing Dalton if he does not get it together and never stops making bids for connection with calls though they are ignored. Lots of men delay going to the doctor, getting therapy or dealing with their own issues so this story felt authentic. The best scene is when he is home and runs for safety, he goes to his mother’s room. For answers, he goes to Renai (Rose Byrne), the most amicable divorcee ever. It is a true hero’s journey to be afraid but still face facts with his son’s well being as motivation regardless of what happens to him.
Simpkins is a pleasant surprise. Being a good child actor does not always translate to adult success, but here, he conveys Dalton as a pained teen who is also excited at the prospect of exploring himself and his vocation. Dalton accidentally gets Chris Winslow (Sinclair Daniel), a Black woman, as his roommate, and she gets him out of his shell because she accepts him for who he is, night light, fear of the dark, and all. Simpkins and Daniel have great chemistry, and “Insidious: The Red Door” may not explicitly address race, but it depicts microaggressions and the tone of Blerd culture accurately. It is a pitch perfect pairing complete with Chris’ misgivings once things start getting weird. If the movie just focused on the college incidents, it would be strong enough though it does begin to get repetitive and could be trimmed here and there. Hiam Abbass has a heavy-handed role as Dalton’s art teacher, but she is terrific, and it is a darn shame that she does not get to show Professor Armagan’s reaction to Dalton’s discovery.
“Insidious: The Red Door” is the first “Insidious” movie that got me to jump out of my skin even though I saw it during the day on television. It happens during the first night at the frat. Even though on some level, I suspected what was coming, it did not matter. Wilson, congratulations, you got me! His directorial debut was effective as it should be considering how long he has been working in scary movies. You better work. Cinematographer Autumn Eakin also did a great job using color to convey the mood of each scene without the overreliance on red. While they probably borrowed a ton of inspiration from the first released film, the daytime and campus scenes were effective enough to stand on their own. The MRI scene stood out because it combined Wilson looking vulnerable and terrified, which will be relatable to a lot of viewers who are claustrophobic (not me, I find it relaxing and rhythmic), with the horror of someone crawling in close quarters and not being able to run.
If “Insidious: The Red Door” fumbles the ball, it is how readily everything emotionally falls into place once everyone remembers that time when Josh went all Jack Torrence on their asses. Apparently poor Foster (Andrew Astor), Dalton’s little brother, does remember everything and does not buy mom’s cover story. Kali (Juliana Davies) is relegated to the sidelines, which is fine and a nice change considering girls and women in jeopardy are usually the bread and butter of horror movies. If the story is flawed, it is because there was more emotional tension between the kids and dad when everyone was kept in the dark than after they realized that he tried to murder them. The film becomes a survival movie, and Josh has an opportunity to prove how much he loves his son despite their differences. Getting rescued from “the man with fire on his face” (Joseph Bishara, who also composed the score) will do wonders for any relationship.
Most people hated “Insidious: The Red Door” even though financially, it did the best out of all the movies. It was a nice change of pace because it did not sacrifice the story for comedic relief or stay grasping for the low hanging fruit of familial or supernatural scares. While it is far from top-shelf horror, it is still pleasant enough horror junk food fare that one could indulge on Father’s Day.
