Insidious: The Red Door

Insidious: The Red Door is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by Patrick Wilson (in his directorial debut) from a screenplay by Scott Teems based on a story by Leigh Whannell and Teems. It is a direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), and the fifth installment in the Insidious franchise. Original director James Wan serves as a producer, as does Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner. Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor, Steve Coulter, Joseph Bishara, Whannell, Angus Sampson, and Lin Shaye reprise their roles from previous films. Sinclair Daniel and Hiam Abbass join the cast.
After the release of Insidious: The Last Key in 2018, Blumhouse opted for possibilities to produce future films in the series, including a crossover with the Sinister series. In October 2020, the studio announced that Wilson would direct and star in the new film, with Teems writing the script based on a story written with Whannell. With a production budget of $16 million, filming took place in August 2022 at the Morris County and Madison locations around New Jersey City.
Insidious: The Red Door was theatrically released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on July 7, 2023. The film has received mixed reviews from critics and was a commercial success, having grossed $188.8 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of the series.
Plot
In 2019, nine years after his possession, Josh Lambert's memories of his experience in The Further have been repressed. He is divorced from his wife Renai and his mother Lorraine has recently died. His relationship with his son Dalton has become strained, and he attempts to heal things between them while dropping him off at college but it ends with them in an argument.
In his first art class, Dalton ends up drawing a picture of the red door used to enter The Further. Meanwhile Josh begins being haunted by the spirit of a man, eventually discovering that it is his father Ben Burton who he believed abandoned his family when he was young. Dalton attends a frat party with his roommate Chris, where he sees the ghost of a student that is constantly vomiting. After accidentally going into The Further again, Chris shows Dalton a YouTube video by Specs and Tucker, explaining how astral projection works, which leads to a clip of Elise Rainier talking about The Further.
Dalton attempts to astral project again while Chris watches over his body, Chris is then attacked by an unseen entity and her screams alert Dalton, who rushes back to his body and sees that it is the red-faced demon that tormented him as a child. After being warned by Chris to stop using his abilities, Dalton receives a call from his brother Foster who tells about a recurring dream he used to have of Josh trying to kill them. This spurs Dalton's memory and he finishes his painting, which shows a possessed Josh in front of the red door. A distressed Dalton is pulled into The Further, back to when a possessed Josh attacked them in the basement. He tackles Josh as he attempts to kill his younger self and ends up transported back to the red-faced demons lair.
Josh begins researching his father and discovers that he killed himself while institutionalized in a mental hospital. He talks to Renai, who reveals the truth about what happened to their family a decade ago and that his father also had the ability to astral project but believed the things he saw were a result of mental illness. Foster shows them a photo of Dalton’s painting he texted and they realize Dalton is in danger. Renai helps Josh to go back into The Further to rescue their son.
With Dalton trapped in his lair, the demon possesses his body and attempts to kill Chris but is stopped when Josh manages to find and free Dalton. The demon chases them through the red door and Josh stays behind to keep it shut so Dalton will be safe, Dalton returns to his body and paints over his red door painting with black paint, which in turns seals the real door and The Further.
Josh meets his fathers spirit, who guides him back to the living world. Once back, Josh agrees to have dinner with Renai and the kids, hinting at a possible reunion. As he leaves, he unknowingly meets Elise's spirit, who tells him he has a bright future ahead of him. Josh then drives to Dalton's college, where father and son reconcile as Dalton presents a painting of Josh carrying a young Dalton out of The Further.
In an After-Credits scene, the light over the sealed door to the Further flickers back on.
Cast
Production
Development
Following the release and box office success of Insidious: The Last Key, a sequel entered development. Producer Jason Blum had expressed interest in a crossover film with Sinister. On October 29, 2020, it was announced that a direct sequel to Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2 was in development with Patrick Wilson serving as director in his directorial debut from a screenplay written by Scott Teems based on a story by Leigh Whannell. Wilson and Ty Simpkins were set to reprise their roles from the first two films.
Filming
In February 2022, Wilson confirmed that location scouting had begun with filming set to begin in spring of that year. Principal photography commenced in August 2022, with Peter Dager, Jarquez McClendon, Sinclair Daniel, and Hiam Abbass joining the cast, as well as Rose Byrne confirmed to be returning. In February 2023, Andrew Astor was confirmed to reprise his role as Foster Lambert. In April 2023, Lin Shaye was confirmed to reprise her role as Elise Rainier. Filming took place in Morris County, New Jersey, including in Morristown, Chatham, Florham Park, and at Drew University and other locations in Madison. On August 22, 2022, Wilson revealed that filming had wrapped.
Music
The film's score is composed by Joseph Bishara, who returned to the franchise after composing the first four films in the series.
The score soundtrack was being released on July 7, by Madison Gate Records. Ghost contributed a cover of the Shakespears Sister song "Stay". Patrick Wilson's vocals are also on the track. It features during the closing credits.
Release
Insidious: The Red Door was released in the United States on July 7, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Reception
Box office
Insidious: The Red Door grossed $82.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $106.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $188.8 million.
In United States and Canada, Insidious: The Red Door was released alongside Joy Ride, and was initially projected to gross $18–23 million from 3,188 theaters in its opening weekend. After making $15.3 million on its first day (including $5 million from Thursday night previews), estimates were raised to $31 million. It went on to debut to $33 million, topping the box office and marking the second-best opening weekend in the franchise behind Chapter 2 ($41 million in 2013). In its second weekend the film made $13 million, dropping 61% and finishing third behind newcomer Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and holdover Sound of Freedom. It then made $6.5 million in its third weekend, falling to sixth place.
In the Philippines, a market where the horror genre is widely popular, Insidious: The Red Door broke the records for the highest-grossing opening weekend for a horror film, the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2023, and the highest-grossing horror film of all time (with a cume of $6.9 million, surpassing The Nun).
Critical response
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 72% of filmgoers gave it a positive score.
Owen Gleiberman from Variety gave the film a negative review saying, "For a first-time director, Patrick Wilson doesn't do a bad job, but he's working with tropes that have already been worked to death. It's time to close this carnival of souls down". Meagan Navarro writing for Bloody Disgusting felt the film gave a satisfying closure to the series. She explained, "Those hoping to learn more about the Lipstick Demon and the darkest corners of the Further may come away disappointed. The Red Door isn’t interested in the mythology but instead in examining how its ghosts fractured the family and whether their enduring love can make them whole again. Wilson reminds audiences why they fell for the Lambert family in the first place with a sentimental sequel that tenderly bids them farewell. While it doesn't give a sense of finality to the Further or its ghostly inhabitants, it does offer poignant closure to the protagonists that started it all".
References
External links
2023 directorial debut films
2023 horror films
2023 films
2023 horror thriller films
2023 thriller films
2020s American films
2020s English-language films
2020s serial killer films
American horror thriller films
American serial killer films
American sequel films
Blumhouse Productions films
Films produced by Jason Blum
Films scored by Joseph Bishara
Films set in universities and colleges
Films shot in New Jersey
Films with screenplays by Scott Teems
Insidious 5
Screen Gems films
Stage 6 Films films