“Insidious: Out of the Further” is a decent step in the right direction, but it’s tracking way too much mud from the places it’s already been. Directed by Jacob Chase, the latest addition to this 16-year-old franchise was a bit of a surprise. Unlike previous films that centers around the mother of this franchise, Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), she takes a full backseat here. Now, we have a new, unsuspecting family being repeatedly harassed by paranormal threats seeking, by all definitions, a life. At this point, she’s just the bridge that marries all these films together.
One thing I’ve come to expect from this particular film genre is that some things are meant to be ignored for the sake of being wrapped up in this vast, dark dimension. Across the past few installments, there hasn’t been a cohesive story that really challenges loyal audiences or newcomers enough to warrant making a new movie. The Red Door has seemingly been shut for good, but death is of no consequence—especially in this world—it’s merely the beginning. Explanations were never a strong suit. But what tension this film does offer is a bit of terror through its camera tricks and the practical effect of plain old “old people are creepy.”
‘Insidious’ Uses Confined Spaces
When done correctly, the jump scares are very effective here. Thanks to a lot of misdirection, you can’t really gauge where the next jolting moment will come from. It’s also a very dark film visually, so the thought of what could possibly be hidden in the shadows stays with you and keeps things interesting.
​Something explored here that I haven’t seen in previous entries is the use of confined spaces. Being under pressure and trapped by unwanted attention, key moments trigger claustrophobia by filming from an up-close, in-your-face angle. Even visits to the dentist are rendered menacing and gross. Well, a few select scenes went out of their way to just be uncomfortably gross.
​I usually despise the idea of toys in horror films (with the exception of a few obvious classics); it’s a trope that rarely has anything new to offer other than a corruption of innocence or a twisted ghoul playing with its food before attacking. Although this is something that’s been done many times before, it’s used as a unique conduit that maintains a sinister tone and gives new life to a played-out trope.
Struggles to Stand on its Own
Even still, some films just can’t help themselves, and they have to dig into that old bag of reliable nostalgia—which is the most disappointing aspect of the entire movie. Since the famous kitchen table scene, there have been many attempts to shock audiences on that level. That, along with the continuous shot following someone through the house to reveal an evil spirit physically present and watching closely, should serve as a trademark to let you know this is an Insidious product—rather than something cooked until it’s well overdone. It lost its magic three movies ago.
Despite all the effort and new forces at play here, the film could not stand on its own as an individual movie. Everything it was building toward was derailed in an “Avengers, assemble!” style climax that just doesn’t work at all. The return of these specific entities diluted the presence of this new big bad, who still needed more development himself. The conclusion is so thrown together that it’s hard not to see it as random and poorly thought out. I’m not sure where this leaves the franchise but the good news is they’ve come a long way; the bad news is somewhere along the way they went astray—and with that, I got lost as well.
