In Insidious: The Red Door, we revisit the Lambert family a decade after the events that profoundly impacted their lives. The eldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), is embarking on his college journey, while his relationship with his father, Josh (Patrick Wilson), remains strained, with the root cause unclear to both. Dalton’s enrollment in an art course triggers an awakening within him, causing memories of the past to resurface. Consequently, the Lambert family finds itself once again threatened by a malevolent presence residing in The Further, the spectral realm bordering reality.
To be frank, my prior experience with the franchise is limited to the fourth installment, Insidious: The Last Key, and I haven’t seen the earlier films featuring the Lambert family. While Insidious: The Red Door provides sufficient context to follow the narrative, familiarity with the previous films would undoubtedly enhance the viewing experience.
Initially, I also found myself confusing the Insidious series with The Conjuring franchise. This confusion stems from the fact that both series are spearheaded by James Wan and feature Patrick Wilson in a prominent role. However, Wilson’s last major role in the Insidious series was in the second film, released in 2013, as the third and fourth films were prequels to the initial storyline.
Insidious: The Red Door marks the fifth installment in the franchise, but effectively serves as the third chapter focusing on the Lambert family. Notably, it also represents Patrick Wilson’s directorial debut, which we’ll discuss further below.
Horror and comedy are arguably the most challenging genres to execute effectively in film, given the subjective nature of what constitutes fear and humor. Insidious: The Red Door opens promisingly, establishing a palpable sense of dread. However, it soon becomes apparent that the film relies heavily on a repetitive formula, utilizing similar horror setups throughout its duration.
From a production standpoint, the film demonstrates competence, featuring commendable cinematography and performances from the cast, who deliver their best within the confines of a somewhat lean script. However, the film struggles to fully realize its potential, failing to evoke either genuine fear or substantial emotional resonance. While there are a few jump-scares, they are infrequent and lack sustained impact.
Renai Lambert, the family matriarch portrayed by Rose Byrne, is regrettably underutilized in this film, with her role reduced to that of a supporting character. In this regard, it might have been beneficial for Patrick Wilson to reduce his own screen time and allocate more focus to Byrne, thereby allowing him to concentrate more fully on his directorial duties. This shift could have potentially elevated the overall impact of the film.
The Blu-ray edition delivers a sharp visual experience, maximizing the format’s capabilities and rendering dark sequences, such as those within the Further, with impressive clarity. The 5.1 DTS Master audio track provides impactful sound design, effectively immersing the viewer in the sonic landscape, particularly during scenes involving creatures lurking nearby. While the inclusion of only two relatively short documentaries may seem minimal, the presence of any supplemental material is always a welcome addition.
In conclusion, Insidious: The Red Door ultimately falls short of delivering a truly terrifying experience and suffers from pacing issues. While the Blu-ray edition offers commendable quality and the film features some well-executed sequences in its opening act, the overall score is tempered by its shortcomings. Trimming approximately twenty minutes from the runtime could have improved the film’s impact.
