Insidious : Red door

The Insidious saga began in 2010 with the release of the first film directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell. The film followed a couple whose son falls into a mysterious coma, leading them to discover a malevolent presence in their home. The success of the first film led to several sequels and prequels. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) continues the story and delves deeper into the supernatural realm known as The Further. "Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) is a prequel focusing on the origins of paranormal investigator Elise Rainier. Insidious: The Last Key (2018), explored Elise's past and her encounters with a haunting in her childhood home. 

This latest installment brings this cinematic saga to a close, recapturing all the effectiveness of the previous installments but also incorporating some explanatory elements. It can be enjoyed without having seen the previous films.  This new film stands out for its atmospheric tension, its many scares and, above all, its exploration of the spiritual world. 

Set ten years after the events described in the second film in the Insidious saga, the film follows Josh Lambert as he embarks on a journey east to accompany his son, Dalton, to an American university. However, what should be a promising start for Dalton soon turns into a horrific ordeal when the repressed demons of his past resurface to torment them. In order to put an end to the haunting and bury the malevolent entities for good, Josh and Dalton must venture back into Further's realm, and confront once and for all the terrifying nightmares that torment the Lambert family.

Insidious : Red Door shows once again that a horrific sequel can offer enough new ideas to avoid being a mere artificial ersatz of the original film. Actor Patrick Wilson makes his directorial debut here, and proves quite adept at creating a genuinely disturbing atmosphere and transcribing Scott Teems' screenplay (Halloween Kills (2021à, Firestarter (2022)) to the screen. The numerous jump scares are highly effective and guaranteed to startle viewers.

The film takes up the main themes of this cinematic saga. The Further, the spectral dimension that bridges the gap between the world of the living and the afterlife, is once again at the heart of this film. The place where tormented spirits reside and from which they try to penetrate the world of the living brings to the film its dose of various frights and scenes of pure horror typical of the Insidious universe. As in previous installments, this film continues to emphasize the existence of psychic abilities, but reunites Josh and Dalton in their final Homeric battle, putting aside their differences to vanquish vindictive supernatural powers.

Astral projection, clairvoyance and the ability to communicate with the dead are once again at the heart of this film, which doesn't simply offer a remake of the first installment, but a real sequel in which the Lambert family, made up of parents Josh and Renai Lambert, and their children, are at the heart of the story. Similarly, the film is no slouch when it comes to the variety of demonic entities and malevolent spirits that haunt and torment the characters. The result is scenes capable of making you jump out of your chair.  This film is fully in keeping with the Insidious universe, in which films are known for their effective use of jump scares and the creation of a sense of tension and dread. They rely on atmospheric horror, sudden scares and suspenseful moments to plunge audiences into supernatural terror.

Insidious: The Red Door
Directed by Patrick Wilson
Screenplay by Scott Teems
Story by Leigh Whannell
Based on Characters by Leigh Whannell
Produced by Jason Blum, Oren Peli James Wan, Leigh Whannell
Starring Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Hiam Abbass, Sinclair Daniel, Andrew Astor, Rose Byrne
Music by Joseph Bishara
Production companies: Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, Blumhouse Productions
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release date : July 5, 2023 (France), July 7, 2023 (United States)
Running time: 107 minutes

Seen June 30, 2023 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 10 seat A17

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