With "Insidious: The Red Door," Patrick Wilson doesn't just star, he also takes on the directorial role. The actor, who also appears in the "Conjuring" series, exhibits his ongoing dedication to the franchise. Surprisingly, the credits feature Wilson performing a rock number with Swedish band Ghost. It is an unexpected treat for those unfamiliar with his singing abilities.
This film, marking the fifth and purportedly final installment in the "Insidious" series, offers a fairly conclusive ending to the Lambert family saga. Having been out of the spotlight since 2013, the family makes a comeback after the franchise veered its focus onto Elise Rainier, the endearing psychic character in the preceding prequels. Despite the character's death in the second movie, Rainier makes a cameo appearance, because, well, why not?
Dalton Lambert, once a young boy plagued by possession, has now matured into a contemplative 19-year-old art student. His parents, Josh (Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) have separated. His grandmother Lorraine, who had previously helped him escape from the malevolent spirits of The Further, has passed away. In a twist, neither Dalton nor Josh recollects their ordeal with The Further, a lapse of memory instigated by a hypnotist.
The film proceeds quickly, demonstrating the rapid effects of hypnosis. It is so rapid, one might associate it with the warning: "Hypnosis: Not even once." The erasure of an entire year from their memory through a simple count-down from ten is just as quickly undone when Dalton is asked to meditate in his painting class. The movie dabbles in the narrative of artists producing supernatural or possessed works as seen in horror films such as "The Devil’s Candy."
Josh and Dalton's ability for astral projection is not merely a mystical attribute. Rather, it's a representation of the trauma and mental illness trope that's common in horror movies since "Hereditary." This takes shape in the form of revelations about Josh's unknown father, mixed in with feelings of guilt from Josh and resentment from Dalton due to their parents' divorce. Unfortunately, the overuse of this trope detracts from the family drama subplot.
The callbacks to previous "Insidious" films are half-hearted. "The Red Door" seems to give up on integrating all the elements of the story after a while. That said, the film does offer some decent scares in the first half. Wilson, having learned a thing or two from his time with Wan, crafts a few well-timed jump scares. The early scene where Josh hallucinates an eerie old woman while stuck in an MRI machine is particularly noteworthy.
Despite a promising start, the film declines as it delves into the college-centric main plot, culminating in a lackluster finale. Visually, Wilson adheres faithfully to the previous films' misty aesthetic, with Tiny Tim’s "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" echoing in a room filled with shattered dolls somewhere in The Further's void. The jokes, supporting characters, and the film’s adherence to its PG-13 rating are all passable. Wilson's portrayal of Josh is commendable, but unsurprisingly so, considering his ongoing involvement in the series.
