It might sound weird to read a review where the critic talks about how the first Insidious film was one of the first true horror movies they ever sat down and watched, yet that’s exactly how this review is going to start.

The Insidious franchise has always felt like the perfect gateway for burgeoning horror fans. Even with their PG-13 ratings, the first two films, and even the third film, can get pretty damn scary with their clever uses of tension, jump scares, and worldbuilding. The first two installments delivered some solid scares while also telling a surprisingly compelling story about a family being haunted by demonic forces. The third film decided to go the prequel route and even found some success in doing so by putting the spotlight on Lin Shaye’s Elise Rainer. However, much of the franchise’s reputation was hindered by a near-disastrous fourth entry with The Last Key.

Insidious: The Red Door opts to move the story of the first two films forward, with franchise vets Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Ty Simpkins all reprising their roles, plus Wilson taking over the directorial reins in his feature directorial debut. The film opens nine years after the events of Insidious: Chapter 2 with Josh and Dalton Lambert (Wilson & Simpkins) having no memory of the horrific events that transpired nearly a decade ago. Josh has since divorced Renai (Byrne) and has a tumultuous relationship with Dalton who’s getting ready to go off to college. Following a death in the family, Renai suggests that Josh drop Dalton off at school to which the father and son reluctantly agree. After a heated argument, both Josh and Dalton’s memories of their haunted pasts begin to terrorize them, causing each to seek out the truth.

RELATED: Why Patrick Wilson Made His Directorial Debut with ‘Insidious’ Rather Than ‘The Conjuring’

‘Insidious: The Red Door’ Feels Different From Previous Installments
Image via Sony

One aspect that jumps out immediately about Insidious: The Red Door is just how different a director Patrick Wilson is compared to Wan, Leigh Whannell, and Adam Robitel. The aesthetic feels different, and even the mood does as well. The first two installments had a lingering sense of dread looming over them and, while you do feel that at times with The Red Door, the film also manages to use some of its runtime to delve into family drama as well as Dalton bonding with his new college friend Chris (Sinclair Daniel). Some of it works, and fans will likely find themselves rooting for Renai and Josh to get back together and put their tragic past behind them, while some of it just felt unnecessary and tacked on, including Dalton and Chris going to war with the douchey frat guy Nick (Peter Dager). That’s not to say that a film like this can’t have some moments of levity and laughter, but some moments feel like they’re ripped out of a mid-2000s college comedy rather than a horror movie. As a result, they just feel jarring.

That being said, Wilson does show quite a bit of promise as a filmmaker from the way he can deliver some effective scares while also creating moments that will be sure to have audience members clenching their armrests. Even with the unnecessary subplots that are thrown in, The Red Door flows at a pretty brisk pace, with the film almost working better as an epilogue rather than some world-shattering finale that will forever change the way you look at the franchise.

The screenplay itself, written by rising genre scribe Scott Teems, at times doesn’t know how to truly balance all the story elements together. There are attempts at creating fan service moments that allude to previous installments, but it also never seems fully interested in exploring the world of The Further in a new light. It’s Wilson’s direction that ultimately helps the film stand out a bit more, proving that he has a firm grasp on what works about the franchise while also telling a story that feels personal.

‘Insidious: The Red Door’ Isn’t Too Scary and That’s OK
Image via Sony 

Insidious: The Red Door also dials it a bit back on the jump scares. While there are still a handful of moments that will shake the auditorium, there’s nothing as notable as that infamous Lipstick-Face Demon scare in the 2011 film. However, the new installment manages to find other ways to get under the audience’s skin, including one sequence that occurs within the first ten minutes involving Josh sitting in his car, texting Dalton, unaware of what’s going on behind him. The audience won’t feel as uncomfortable as they might have with previous entries, but fans of the films will be able to still be able to find a way to care because they’ve become attached to these characters. Even with a supposed grand finale that ends with more of a whimper than a bang, The Red Door still oddly feels like a satisfying conclusion to this story, and a lot of that might be because of the Lambert family.

Simpkins and Wilson take on the leading roles this time around with the latter turning another solid turn as the now divorced Josh. Simpkins is decent enough as well, but his character never really feels like a captivating protagonist. Instead, he’s just kind of there. Byrne has very little to do compared to what she’s been given in the past, only showing up in the first and third acts, but is still a more than welcome presence on screen. Hiam Abbass feels wasted in her role as Dalton’s strict art professor, ultimately feeling like a side note once the credits start to roll.

Insidious: The Red Door might not be the scariest installment in the franchise, but it feels a lot more human than the others before it. The character moments end up feeling more effective than some of the film’s big set-pieces and, while that may bug some genre purists, those who have stuck around since the first film released over 10 years ago will be pleased.

Rating: B-

Insidious: The Red Door is now playing in theaters.