Patrick Wilson steps up to the director’s chair for this last entry in the supernatural franchise.

Score: 3/5

For those who don’t know my tastes, horror is a genre that can be super hit
or miss with me, even more so when it is supernatural based. I had never even
seen any of the other Insidious movies until a month ago. I was surprised by
the interesting world-building that the first two movies established. The
Further and the Lambert’s unlucky connection to evil ghosts gave me that extra
something to want to stay invested in the franchise. Yet, I was a little let
down by the conclusion of Insidious Chapter 2. It felt like there was unsettled
business with that red-faced demon thing. Well, it took 10 years, but that
closure finally arrives with The Red Door.

The story logically asks the question, does suppressing memories solve
anything for Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Dalton (Ty Simpkins) Lambert’s
connection to the Further and the spirits lurking there? Obviously, no right?
It’s not really a spoiler because if the answer was yes there wouldn’t be a
movie. What gave this story a little more fuel for me, is that not only did
this not stop the potential for their memories to creep back up to the surface,
but losing a year of your memory with no real answers is probably going to have
other effects.

This is explored in seriously strained or broken relationships throughout
the entire Lambert family, and it gives the movie a little more to pull from
the first two Insidious movies strengthening what is a more by-the-numbers
horror movie. The Red Door isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done before in
the previous entries of the franchise. There are still shots of the camera
watching as a ghost slowly shows up or walks in the background, jump scares,
and a creepy demon that is obscured through most of the movie.

I haven’t seen nearly enough of these movies for this to necessarily bother
me, I had a decent time watching the movie, but it was something I was more
aware of this time around. As I mentioned before, what was added to this movie
for me comes from the benefit of having seen the original and Chapter 2 so
close to this entry. The Red Door ties together a good deal from both the
films, tying up loose ends that always felt too easy to me from the end of
Chapter 2, and gave a unique exploration of what a family looks like 10 years
later from what they thought was the end of a dark traumatic experience.

I liked all of that, and it helps that the original cast came back. I read
in a small interview that this was thanks to star and director Patrick Wilson.
It makes all the difference. Seeing a grown-up Ty Simpkins as Dalton in a lead
capacity isn’t the norm for sequels separated by a decade, but here we get to
see that. The only shame is this positive is also a bit of a letdown in I wish
all this baggage was given more time to breathe. Like most horror movies, they
don’t try to overstay their welcome. So, all these ideas are glossed over more
often than not in the hour and fifty or so minute runtime. It leaves a lot to
be desired and I can imagine someone who hasn’t just seen the other movies
recently feeling a bit more burned than me.

This was a lot of thoughts to say, Insidious: The Red Door is alright. I
enjoyed it for what it was, which is better than some of the movies that have
been released this summer.