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With: Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbass, Andrew Astor, Juliana Davies, Steve Coulter, Peter Dager, Justin Sturgis
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Written by: Scott Teems, based on a story by Leigh Whannell, Scott Teem
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Directed by: Patrick Wilson
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, frightening images, strong language and suggestive references
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Running Time: 107
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Date: 07/15/2023
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Insidious: The Red Door (2023)
Shown the 'Door'
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
The fifth movie in the Insidious horror franchise starts strong with fresh character touches and chilling, eerily quiet moments, but it eventually suffers from a sequel's usual diminishing returns.
It's 9 years after the events of Insidious: Chapter 2, in which young Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and his father, Josh (Patrick Wilson), had their memories of their horrific experiences suppressed. Dalton has become a sullen teen, about to head off to art school, while Josh has felt "foggy" ever since the hypnotism, and watched his marriage to Renai (Rose Byrne) fall apart and his relationship with Dalton deteriorate.
In school, Dalton's art professor (Hiam Abbass) encourages him to dig deep for inspiration, and some of the old terrifying entities begin to make themselves known again. With the help of new college friend Chris (Sinclair Daniel), he discovers that he can "astral project," and begins looking for answers. Unfortunately, he goes a bit too far and both father and son wind up inside The Further once more.
Making his debut as director, Patrick Wilson brings Insidious: The Red Door back to the Lambert family, whom we haven't seen since 2013. (Subsequent movies Insidious: Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key were prequels.) As an actor, Wilson seems interested in the characters and their relationships, strained both by their horrific pasts, and their memory suppression.
He also has a few nifty ideas for creeping scares, such as one in which he sits in the cab of his truck, or playing a "memory game" in his living room, or — most nail-bitingly — stuck inside an MRI machine. And the addition of Dalton's college friend Chris is a delightful burst of silly energy.
But as Dalton and Josh spend more time apart and the plot gets rolling, it begins to feel overly familiar, and more than a little tired. Even The Further seems far less terrifying than it once did. Wilson's directing career could be promising, but Insidious: The Red Door is a sign that maybe this franchise should close up.
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