#INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (2023)

[tawneybel]

Add anybody new to the roster of characters?

Still keeping track of horror movies I’ve watched on IMDB.

The 2023 ones I’ve seen so far are Knock at the Cabin, Evil Dead Rise, Scream VI, and Renfield. Next I’m going to watch Insidious: The Red Door.

[cary-elwes]

[cvasquez]

My favorite horror movies of 2023: 1. Thanksgiving 2. Saw X 3. Evil Dead Rise 4. Insidious: The Red Door 5. Scream VI 6. V/H/S 85 7. M3gan 8. When Evil Lurks 9. The Jester 10. Hell House: Origins 11. Skinamarink 12. Never Hike Alone 2 13. It's a Wonderful Knife 14. Resident Evil: Death Island 15. Tape Head: The Return of Jacob Cobb 16. Five Nights At Freddy's 17. No One Will Save You 18. Chloe

[slashericons]

Josh Lambert — Insidious: The Red Door

[james-stark-the-writer]

some notes and thoughts on Patrick Wilson's Insidious: The Red Door.

[stevebuscemieyes]

Insidious: The Red Door (July 7 2023)

Dir Patrick Wilson

[justthegreat1]

Into The Further: Insidious: The Red Door Review

Pictured above is the Insidious: The Red Door poster.

Image Credit: Sony Pictures and BlumHouse

So, I was unsure whether to post this review this quickly, but after some decision making, I decided to write this review. This was also my first time seeing an Insidious movie in theaters but that won’t affect my review as I want to be unbiased and straight to the point, with that being said, let’s get straight to this spoiler free review of “Insidious: The Red Door”.

Insidious: The Red Door is a 2023 supernatural horror film directed by Patrick Wilson (who also stars in this movie, and this was his directorial debut), This movie was produced by James Wan and Jason Blum, the movies screenplay was written by Leigh Whannell and Scott Teems, the cast involves Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert, Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert, Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert, Sinclair Daniel as Chris Winslow, Hiam Ambbass as Professor Armagan, Andrew Astor as Foster Lambert, Juliana Davies as Kali Lambert, Steve Coulter as Carl, Peter Dager as Nick the Dick, Justin Sturgis as Alec Anderson, Joseph Bishara as the Lipstick-Face Demon, Leigh Whannell as Specs, Angus Sampson as Tucker, and Lin Shaye as Elsie Rainier.

The Plot:

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.

Positives:

One positive I have about this movie was the tone of the movie as it had a tone of finality for *THIS* chapter of the Insidious franchise. I enjoyed how dark this movie got for a PG-13 horror movie as it didn’t hold back on the scares…with that being said that also is a drawback which we will get to later. The demons were terrifying, I audibly said “Nope.” when one of them appeared.

Pictured above are 2 of the many demons the Lambert family faced in this movie.

Image Credit: Sony Pictures and BlumHouse

The second positive I have about this movie were the performances especially Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins as father and son duo Josh Lambert and Dalton Lambert as they struggle to confront the demons of their past and present and it makes you root for them. Each cast member did a decent to great job in their roles. The demon performances were unsettling in a way that will make you feel a sense of disgust and discomfort. The third positive I have was the use of The Further and how terrifying it can get.

Pictured above is Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert

Image Credit: Sony Pictures and BlumHouse

Pictured above is Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert with a familiar foe in the background.

Image Credit: Sony pictures and BlumHouse.

Negatives:

One negative I have was the overreliance on jumpscares, I felt like if you want to terrify your audience, throw in a couple jumpscares, not 5-7, I loved the background scares this movie had and the payoffs to said background scares. But the jumpscares seemed a bit excessive. Maybe, I’m being a bit harsh on the jumpscare element of the movie.

The second negative I have was the pacing as some parts of the movie seemed to drag in the beginning, however that is just a knit pick. But overtime the movie picks up which is fantastic.

My overall thoughts:

While I didn’t love this movie, I enjoyed it, however, don’t let these negatives and positives affect your viewing experience of Insidious: The Red Door as I recommend checking it out whenever you get the chance to do so. Check it out in theaters, streaming, and physical media (when it comes out). At least it made $32.6 million at the box office in its opening weekend which is fantastic for horror. Okay, I know it seemed like I was ripping into this movie, but I mean it when I say go check it out whenever you get the chance.

Where to watch Insidious: The Red Door?

Insidious: The Red Door can currently be watched in theaters.

[trendfilmsetter]

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR released in theaters a year ago today.

[splatteronmywalls]

[gebo4482]

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR – Final Trailer (HD)

Dir: Patrick Wilson Star: Ty Simpkins / Patrick Wilson / Hiam Abbass / Rose Byrne

[tawneybel]

2023 Movie Ranking

Note: Completely forgot this was in my drafts lol.

Again, highly subjective. Part of me wants to go back to posting in depth movie reviews lol. With, like, proper criticism and everything. Completely forgot this was in my drafts lol.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Has the most effort put into it out of the other movies I’ve seen this year. I’m not a fan of every single Spider-Person, but I love, love all the animation styles. Also, back in 2020, I totally called the fact that Miguel is a stud. Totally called it.

Saw X: John and Amanda as villain protagonists? Yess. This franchise’s industrial horror vibe is unparalleled, as usual. 

Barbie: Great litmus test.

Scream VI: To no one’s surprise. *currently wearing a Ghostface tee* 

Totally Killer

The Last Voyage of the Demeter: Seriously underrated. It contains some of the most heart-staking death scenes in any Dracula media I’ve seen.  

Thanksgiving: It’s about time! The trailer came out in 2007. XD 

A Haunting in Venice

The Conference: I’ve been meaning to get back into Nordic noir, but this is the first Nordic slasher I’ve seen. 

The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Pretty much the only time I played video games growing up was at the dentist office. So I always felt much less knowledgeable than, well, everyone on Mario. We can all agree Jack Black as Bowser was exquisite though, right? 

Consecration: While I think religious horror should try something besides Catholicism, it’s worth a watch.

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Renfield: Fun horror comedy. Hopefully got at least some people to realize they’re in codependent relationships and seek help. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: So I’m not generally big on the MCU. GOTG however has the kind of ragtag bunch of misfits I like watching. Maybe not over and over again, however. The third installment was okay. 

Evil Dead Rise: I liked Evil Dead 2013 better than the original because of its rancid vibes. Rise also pretty much feels grungy, if you’re into that. 

The Boogeyman: Night Shift may have been one of the first King collections I read. (Just After Sunset was the second book I read by him.) The short story was great. The title monster’s reveal at the end? Not in the film. :(

Insidious: The Red Door: So I watched this without knowing they’d made a fourth Insidious. So I couldn’t compare it to The Last Key. Anyway, it had some odd scenes revolving around Nick. To the point where I wondered if someone in production just wanted to see frat boys in diapers. 

Knock at the Cabin: First horror movie of 2023 I watched. Figured it would not be the best and it wasn’t. I’m not sure if reading the book would have made a difference. I just didn’t care for the plot.

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

[cvasquez]

My favorite movies of 2023: 1. Godzilla: Minus One 2. Thanksgiving 3. Saw X 4. Evil Dead Rise 5. John Wick: Chapter 4 6. Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol. 3 7. The Flash 8. Insidious: The Red Door 9. Scream 6 10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

[adamwatchesmovies]

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

If you’ve lost count, Insidious: The Red Door is the fifth entry in the Insidious series. It's a direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2, with both Insidious: Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key serving as prequels to 2010’s Insidious. Confused yet? I don’t blame you. The franchise’s tight continuity involves its own mythology on top of some head-warping time-travel elements. It’s been ten years since we last saw the Lamberts. Thankfully, writer Scott Teems reminds you of all the important details but nothing in this entry is groundbreaking, which can easily make it feel like “just another one”.

In 2010, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his son Dalton’s memories of The Further are repressed via hypnosis after Josh becomes possessed (see the events of “Insidious: Chapter 2”). Nine years later, Josh is divorced from his wife Renai (Rose Byrne), his mother has passed away and his relationship with Dalton (Ty Simpkins) has become strained. When Dalton rediscovers his astral projection abilities, he risks unleashing a forgotten evil. Meanwhile, his father begins seeing a ghost as well.

I’ve seen all of the Insidious films but have to confess that I don’t remember them all very clearly. I remember some of the monsters we saw along the way, how The Further works and the characters but I get what happened in which film mixed up - probably a symptom of their criss-crossy stories. It’s a good thing the film finds ways to explain it all to you. As Dalton begins college, he makes friends with Chris (Sinclair Daniel, very charming). As his abilities re-emerge, both have to rediscover the rules associated with this series. This may be frustrating for superfans who just want to get right into the terror. They may also be find this new chapter’s lack of innovation disappointing. It’s nice that we find out what happened after the end credits of Chapter 2 but did we REALLY need to? Wasn’t it scarier not knowing? The two movies that followed were more interested in going back rather than going forward - probably because the series killed off Lin Shaye’s Elise Rainier - and with the previous movie being called “The Last Key”, you’d think that meant the whole thing was done, but it isn’t. We get another one and if the post-credit shot (I won’t even call it a stinger) means anything, we’ll probably get a sixth one. It sort of makes you wonder how long it will take before the franchise goes into space.

Those sentiments aside, this is an effective ghost story. The monsters we encounter in “The Further” are frightening and you care about the characters. You’ve known them for so long. You feel bad for Josh. It’s good that he overcame the demonic possession from 2010, but that’s not a happy ending. You want something more, something better. Similarly, you want Dalton to reforge the bond between him and his dad and you’re worried that this ability he’s rediscovered will land him in an even more dangerous situation than before. He’s grown up… but alone. Some great, effective scenes build up the tension as spooky figures slowly get closer and closer to our protagonists. Other threats approach in a less literal way, as Dalton keeps exploring The Further without knowing what that place is actually about. There’s a recurring motif of a painting he’s working on and of a sinister red door. His teacher pushes him to explore the recesses of his soul to create - not knowing this is exactly what the wraiths are hoping for. His memories are slowly returning and as they do, he’s putting the finishing touches on the painting. When you see the whole thing finished, it’s a great reveal and that idea of remembering important details through paint and a brush comes together splendidly at the end in a scene that I found unexpectedly emotional.

As a directorial debut, Patrick Wilson could've done much worse than Insidious: The Red Door, particularly considering his character plays a major role in the film. The movie has some good scares, creepy monsters and the characters - both new and recurring - are likable. I won't call this chapter essential, even for those who've followed this universe since the beginning but if you're interested, I'd say check it out. (September 22, 2023)

[james-stark-the-writer]

better at confronting and addressing the effects of abuse in one single scene better than whatever the fuck was going on through the entire runtime of Insidious: The Last Key. who knew Patrick Wilson was such a good fucking director, this is genuinely a really fucking great directorial debut, and i didn't miss Whannell's writing as much as i thought i would bc this script is fucking great. genuinely just a great fucking finale that really understands what works about the franchise and why we loved these characters. also does the most justice to The Further as a conceptual space since Chapter 2.

My ★★★★½ review of Insidious: The Red Door on Letterboxd

[stevebuscemieyes]