User reviews

Well guys... despite me really looking forward to this new installment in the franchise and an overall excitement for what was to come... I must say I was generally disappointed. This series started on a high note with a steady decline in quality and intrigue but never landed below average. Each one brought something seemingly new and different to the table... this one, however, I cannot say the same about.

This was essentially just a retelling of the first story but 9 years later. Like, truly guys, it was pretty much the same. I kept waiting and waiting to feel like something was happening. Something interesting, something new or exciting... really, just anything besides a jump scare. All of a sudden I was over 2/3s of the way through and the story was just not delivering. It rounded out being a bit of a bore as far as action/plot went.

The production was also greatly hindered in my opinion by other variables such as script, acting and characters. The script was... poor. It felt like an amalgamation of every cliché line and trope you have ever heard in a horror movie put into one script. I audibly laughed at certain lines because they were just too much to handle lol.

Also the characters were just plainily not super relatable or enjoyable. The dad was just a little too pathetic to where it was a bit cringe, the son was so much of that "irritable, bratty teenager" that it was irksome... and don't get me started on that TIRED, cliche character of the "quirky random stranger that is blunt, pushes comfort zones and becomes best friends with the main character in 12 hours". I think between the script and the characters... the actors didn't have all that much to work with, but if I had to make a blanket statement regarding that, I would say the acting was unsuccessful.

Despite these faults, I wouldn't say that this was entirely unsuccessful as a whole. Being a fan of this universe, it was nice to see these characters, monsters and plots revisited. There were some genuine scares and solid spook factor despite them primarily relying on jump scares. Unfortunately I just don't think they really pushed this in creating something new, fun, fresh and original. I found myself exiting the theater asking myself "why"... like what was their goal in making this, what was their point. I'm giving this a 4.5 rounding down to a 4. It wasn't awful, but as far as recommendation goes I don't think you're missing out on much if you pass on it.

IG - howlingatthemoonreviews.

As a longtime fan or horror and someone who found that interest through the insidious and conjuring universes, I was expecting more out of this film. It felt as though there was a think tank meeting where some important ideas were thought of and they decided to explore those without really fleshing them out. There were hardly any jump scares or truly unique elements of horror, overall just a very predictable plot. Despite the runtime, this movie felt very fast, almost like an episode of a TV show. This in combination with an unbearably cringy script for the best friend/roomate character made this my least favorite movie of the franchise and one that I could've lived without.

Come on Blumhouse, can you come up with better horror films than this lately. Thoroughly disappointed with this movie. What was the point? We already knew everything that happened in the movie, it was nothing new, it was very predictable. The movie was very slow and boring. No new material or creatures or scenes or anything that kept you on the edge of your seat. There were a couple jump scares but nothing exciting. The storyline was really dull and was exactly what we knew from previous movies about the evolution of Insidious. When it was over, you were left feeling, why did I spend money for this?!

This entry and hopefully conclusion to the franchise was not a masterpiece, but also wasn't bad either. It is a typical horror film and one that made me jump a few times which is something movies don't seem to make me do anymore. It is no where near as good in story as the first two films, but is better than 3 and 4 by a long shot. I don't think this movie had the same tone as the first two which was hard to get used to, but wasn't bad either. Unlike other reviews, I enjoyed the first 2/3s of the film more than the ending that seemed sort of rushed and random. It is a must see for fans of the franchise, but for a casual movie goer this might not be your thing.

First of all, it's definitely not the best horror film I've ever seen. It's not going to win any Oscar's or leave you gasping in awe. However, it's certainly not a terrible as some of the reviews suggest.

It holds your attention and has some great jump scares.

On the negative side, I'm a huge fan of the insidious movies, but this just doesn't feel like it belongs with the others.

The plot isn't terrible, but the college scenes are a bit cheesy, overacted and stereotypical. The whole sorority thing has been overdone.

In short, as a stand-alone movie this is fine. A solid 6/6.5. It just doesn't have the insidious feel for me.

It was very slow paced, and dragged on, the storyline was a little dull and not like the others, I thought the last one wasn't as great, but it was much better than this one, I was so excited to have the main cast back, and to see another installment, I was hoping it would dive deeper into the further, and see many more evil characters, but it was not meant to be, it was the same old rehashing from previous movies, the whole collage thing put me off the most, and making it upto date modern gen z stuff was so boring, I could have done without that, it built slowly and didn't land, there was like 5 jump scares, and that was about it, I'd like to say something different, and I'm not moaning to just moan, but it wasn't good and my advice, don't waste your time.

The guy sitting next to me covered his ears for literally the entire movie. I don't blame him, as there were a frustrating amount of obnoxious, tasteless jump scares.

But an equal amount of the scares were EXTREMELY effective, involving clearly thoughtful placement of disturbing imagery and refreshing patience. Patrick Wilson's extensive experience in horror films gave him insight on how to craft atmosphere. I just wish he would have done it more often.

The story does find good reasons to exist-to continue this long-delayed franchise. It explores themes of memory that feel like a natural continuation of the Lambert's story. And it culminates in an emotionally satisfying ending.

It's just that the script too often falls upon stilted, unnatural dialogue and is paced without a sense of progression, and it makes this movie a lot less effective and memorable than it could have been with the many good ideas on display.

This is the worst Insidious movie! I was excited when my sons asked if I wanted to go see the new Insidious movie with them for my birthday - I love all the others and am a horror movie fanatic! This one left me dozing off in the theater and not one moment of a racing heartbeat or anything! My husband and I talked to a couple sitting next to us and the guy felt the same way as me - the movie sucked and they should have left it at The Last Key.

Truly disappointed and if they make another one I don't think I will be watching it (at least not paying to watch it)! This was supposed to be the final but......

"Insidious: The Red Door" marks Patrick Wilson's directorial debut and the result is solid but not a masterpiece. The script revolves around the Lambert family and the past that comes back for them, a large part of the film presents supernatural events that are a delight, in addition to creating scenes with good suspense and a lot of tension, the negative is the ending that becomes abrupt and without emotion. The cast gives good performances, highlighting the scream queen Lin Shaye whose minutes on the screen are scarce but her appearance is perfect in acting. The cinematography does a good job, especially with chiaroscuro. The editing is dizzying and accentuates the suspense. The design of The Lipstick-Face Demon is very effective and looks especially gloomy in this fifth part of the saga. A formidable movie but with an abrupt final battle that turns out to be a bit disappointing, but overall it's a quality movie.

Let me start by saying it's important to remember the first two movies in this franchise. If you haven't seen them in years, you will be lost. If you don't have time to rewatch them, you can find recap videos on youtube.

Right from the opening shot, you can feel the quality filmmaking. I couldn't believe it's directed by Patrick Wilson (Josh in chapters 1 and 2). It's his first time in the director's chair and I think he did a great job.

The movie really takes it's time, both with fleshing out the characters and with setting up the scares and creating atmosphere. Some people might find it slow since it doesn't have jump scares every few minutes. For me, I could feel the tension building until we finally get a scare. And all the jump scare attempts are successful.

I loved that they chose a new setting and went in different directions than usual. It prevents the movie from feeling tired and too much like the previous ones. At the same time, it still has that Insidious essence.

I had a fun time with this movie. I think most fans of the franchise will enjoy it. I also feel like it's a good example for the people who complain about too many sequels and reboots. Anything can be good if it's done right. The problem with bad sequels isn't lack of ideas, it's poor filmmaking.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 7/6/2023)

This was one of the worst movies this year for me.... And I usually LOVE horror movies.

First off, this is not a Patrick Wilson movie. He is in it for less than half of the movie. The main "stars" are the grown up kid Dalton and the "newcomer" girl Chris (horrible character)....they are the "stars" in this movie".....the mom is in it for about 5 minutes and Elise is in it about 1 minute. So the cast list of characters is WRONG. If you look it has Patrick Wilson at #2 and Rose Byrne at #3 and then newcomer Sinclair Daniel (Chris) at #4. Once again, this is WRONG. She is in the movie the most right up there with Dalton, and she is NOT good in this.

But besides that, this was by far THE WORST Insidious movie out of all 5. Not scary at all. Patrick, please do not direct another movie.

2/10 - SAVE YOUR MONEY ...HORRIBLE "MOVIE"

I couldn't help but believe that the horror component of the film fell short of expectations as it neared its finale. It's impossible to say whether this occurred as a result of my yearlong exposure to a large number of horror films or if there was a problem with the writing. I wished there had been more genuinely horrific and spine-chilling moments because the ending felt a little hurried. The emotional depth between the characters was another component I hoped had been further addressed in the movie.

The movie did, however, have certain advantages. An unsettling mood was created by the cinematography and visual effects, which added to the overall suspense. The tension was effectively heightened by the use of lighting and sound design, increasing the audience's anticipation during crucial scenes.

When you see movies like this u couldn't care less about the writers strike in hollywood, if they aren't able to come up with better scripts anyway. Seriously an episode of american horror story is more enjoyable than this. Dalton goes to college, a few jump scares - the end! That is exactly the movie. It started with the funeral of the grandmother, missed opurtunity right there! Thought we would meet her in the realm of the dead. Nope. Silly boring teenager scenes at college the first half of the movie. No ghost hunters, no elise. No new installments, no surprises, no shock value (besides cheap jump scares) no real horror. The first insidious was one of the most creepy horrorfilms i saw, loved it. The red door is just lame and completely boring. Patrick Wilson, please stick to acting or choose better scripts if you direct a movie.

I'm proud of the Insidious franchise for keeping it in the family. The film had its hiccups, but it was mostly on the editing side. You can tell there were executive choices made that did not fit with the initial vision. Ultimately Patrick Wilson (Josh Lambert) had the tall order of directing and starring. He did great. Ty Simpkins returning as Dalton felt authentically and painfully teenage artist. I'm proud of everyone and how hard they worked. Sinclair Daniel was a delight as Dalton's sidekick and the comic relief of the film, Chris.

When I say it felt like a family affair, it really was. Congratulations Patrick Wilson. I really enjoyed myself at the movies.

There is no story. There is no good acting. There is no good sequence. There is absolutely nothing to enjoy here.

A couple of jump scares and thats it! Lots of messed up horror music to scare you. I mean who is not going to jump up if the music suddenly busts up to a 100 with horror ehhh uhhh grrrr demon sounds and something peculiar jumping up in the screen. This is it man. This is what the whole movie is.

I wasted my money down the drain. Please don't make the same mistake as me.

If your a horror fan try watching the new evil dead instead.

Anything else is good. The other options that are in the cinema right now are much better. The Flash was great, indiana jones was good. MI should be good too.

I love this franchise, love it since the first one. But, looks like James Wan have no idea anymore and just want to milking the franchise. It's not fair for the long time fans because we have seen everything. This one is totally like the first one but just with the old Dalton. Come on James Wan, you are better than this. I love "The Malignant" and "Megan", should stop with this Insidious series because you guys totally have no fresh idea anymore. I suggest you guys just use the paranormal investigator buddy as a standalone movie, they are the only best part from this movie. If you never watch the previous Insidious, you might like this one.

I wasnt the biggest fan of the fourth one honestly and 3 was ok at best, so I can tell you i was pleasantly surprised with this one. It has its own personality. The lack of original factors, in the scare departments, prevents this from being a 10, but i still loved it. All the great characters AND villains from the first 2 movies are here.

I also like that it deals with the psychological consequences of the first 2 movies. So dont listen to the haters, if you are a fan of this franchise you will love this one!

(There is one particular scene that was REALLY effective and scary and claustrophobic You ll know when you see it. The whole audience was scared, i loved it)

Insidious: The Red Door starts right were we saw the Lamberts the last time, with Josh and Dalton's memories being suppressed by Carl. Nine years later, Dalton is headed to college and the demon that once hunted him is back. Through the film the first two installments are referenced serving as a memory refresher. The first act is way too slow, dragging the film with taking too long to get to the point making act 2 and act 3 feel rushed. Even so, is a good debut for Patrick Wilson as a director. He took his knowledge and experience in the genre to bring a good finale to the Lambert's story. Both Wilson and Ty Simpkins performances brings a more emotional side of their characters creating a believable story.

As expected, the film is full of jump scares but not all of them are predictable. The dark atmosphere builds up the tension creating scary moments that will make more than one jump of their seats. Compared to the rest of the franchise, Insidious: The Red Door is a good addition to it being better than Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) and Insidious: The Last Key (2018) but not as outstanding as the first two. Don't leave when the film ends if you don't want to miss the post-credit scene and the end credits song by the Swedish rock band Ghost and a special guest.

Generational trauma and the sins of the father are the main preoccupations of Insidious: The Red Door, a perfectly fine sequel that's focus on confronting trauma rather than forgetting it makes the film a satisfying end to the Lamberts story and the decision to bring these characters back worth it by the end.

Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins are both great, their fractured father son relationship and the slow process of rebuilding it is definitely the strongest aspect of the film. Sinclair Daniel does a really good job as comic relief however Rose Byrne is sadly wasted this time around with about 2 or 3 scenes at the most.

As a debut, Patrick Wilson's direction is competent but nothing more. He proves he can make a conventional horror just as competently as anyone else but doesn't bring anything unique or interesting to set himself apart from everyone else. The scares are mostly cheap jump scares and loud noises apart from a memorable MRI sequence.