“Insidious - The Red Door” (2023): A Review

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The “Insidious” franchise is back after five long years, and they’re back with some familiar faces: the Lambert family. They were first introduced as the main characters in movies 1 and 2, but after the ending of the second movie in the franchise, it seemed like all was well with Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), the patriarch of the family, and Dalton (Ty Simpkins), the oldest son of his three children. However, all was, in fact, not well. Audiences revisit the family nine years after their experience with The Further, the realm in which demons and ghosts roam in the dark and yearn for the light. Dalton and Josh’s memories of that year were successfully repressed, but it’s clear that the family unfortunately had to deal with the repercussions. Josh’s suppression turned into “brain fog”, causing him to grow disconnected with his family. Renai (played by Rose Byrne) ended up divorcing him, further growing a rift between Josh and Dalton, who’s grown into what seems to be the epitome of the “tortured artist” stereotype. With Dalton experiencing his memories fighting to be remembered and Josh searching for answers, the two unfortunately have to go back together to the root of the problem: The Further. 

In Patrick Wilson’s directorial debut, the story picks up almost a decade after the ending of the second movie of the franchise, as mentioned before, and it shows that despite everything, life still happened for them and changed a lot of things for them. A lot of movies always depict families that go through tough times together tend to always stick together, but seeing the Lambert family not be an exception to that trope was refreshing to see. Josh has turned into somewhat of an emotionally unavailable father for his kids due to a mix of the brain fog as well as his own fears of being an absent father like his was, and while Renai is more understanding of his situation, Dalton is not.  

Due to the memory repression, Dalton doesn’t remember his experience with The Further or how his father was the one who saved him, and his father’s brain fog is simply due to an unwillingness to be there for him and his family. A lot of the plot does revolve around Dalton and Josh’s relationship with each other as well as overcoming their own mental cages that came with the fallout of dealing with The Further all those years ago. At the beginning of the movie, Josh attempts to bond with Dalton by helping him move in to his dorm at college, which obviously didn’t go smoothly. This part was influential in showing just how damaged their father-son bond is after all these years, and it showcased how both parties were clearly fighting their own battles within themselves which neither would be able to understand. It also set the precedent for how the relationship was between the two and became an identifiable spot for viewers to compare the before and after the two ultimately resolve their problems with each other. 

Another point with the plot is that the movie successfully keeps up with the storyline instead of wasting time on jump scares and suspense-building. In fact, the film demonstrates a well-balanced mix between developing the story with the characters and keeping the audience actively engaged with well-executed jump scares and some truly terrifying moments. Many horror films nowadays try to reign people in with the “scare factor” but then don’t put much development into the actual storyline, which ends up falling flat and disappointing viewers. With “Insidious: The Red Door”, the audience is already hooked onto the story with the fact that the franchise is revisiting the Lambert family, a group of people that viewers have already an emotional connection with (no matter how big or small that may be). Under Patrick Wilson’s direction and co-creator of the franchise Leigh Whannell’s screenplay, the development of the actual story with the Lamberts was just as important as the “scare factor”, and that blended into a fun watch, at least for horror fans, that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. 

Overall, “Insidious: The Red Door” has a little bit of something for everyone. It had the terror and adrenaline-boosting jump scares that horror fans would enjoy, and it also had a good storyline revolving around a broken father and son relationship that pulls the heartstrings. This movie elevates the movie franchise and even leaves behind an easter egg in a mini post-credits scene, teasing viewers that maybe there is, in fact, more to come with the “Insidious” franchise.