Insidious: The Red Door

Summary

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.

Insidious: The Red Door
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPatrick Wilson
Screenplay byScott Teems
Story by
Based onCharacters
by Leigh Whannell
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAutumn Eakin
Edited by
  • Derek Ambrosi
  • Michel Aller
Music byJoseph Bishara
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • July 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)
Running time
107 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16 million[3]
Box office$189.1 million[4][5]

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 Jersey City.

Insidious: The Red Door was theatrically released in the United States on July 7, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $189 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of the series. It was nominated for Best Horror Film at the 51st Saturn Awards.

Plot edit

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 deceased. His relationship with his son Dalton has become strained and unpleasant, and he attempts to heal things between them while dropping him off at college but it ends with them in a conflict.

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 Josh attempts to kill the younger Dalton 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 to 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 father's 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 that he has a bright future ahead of him. Josh then drives to Dalton's college, where father and son reconcile as Dalton reveals a painting of Josh carrying a young Dalton out of The Further.

In a post credits scene, the light over the sealed door to The Further flickers back on.

Cast edit

Production edit

Development edit

 
Insidious: The Red Door is the feature directorial debut of Patrick Wilson, who portrays Josh Lambert in the franchise.

Following the release and box office success of Insidious: The Last Key, a sequel entered development.[6] Producer Jason Blum had expressed interest in a crossover film with Sinister.[7] 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.[8][9][10][11] Wilson and Ty Simpkins were set to reprise their roles from the first two films.[12]

Filming edit

In February 2022, Wilson confirmed that location scouting had begun with filming set to begin in spring of that year.[13] 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.[14] Filming took place in Morris County, New Jersey, including in Morristown, Chatham, Florham Park, and at Drew University and other locations in Madison.[15] On August 22, 2022, Wilson revealed that filming had wrapped.[16]

Music edit

The film's score is composed by Joseph Bishara, who returned to the franchise after composing the first four films in the series.[17] The score soundtrack was being released on July 7, by Madison Gate Records.[18] 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.[19]

Release edit

Insidious: The Red Door was released in the United States on July 7, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing.[20]

The film was released on digital platforms on August 1, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on September 26.[21]

Reception edit

Box office edit

Insidious: The Red Door grossed $82.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $106.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $189.1 million.[4][5]

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.[3] After making $15.3 million on its first day (including $5 million from Thursday night previews), estimates were raised to $31 million.[22] 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).[23] 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.[24] It then made $6.5 million in its third weekend, falling to sixth place.[25]

In the Philippines, a market where the horror genre is widely popular,[26][27][28] Insidious: The Red Door broke the records for the highest-grossing opening weekend for a horror film,[29] the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2023,[29] and the highest-grossing horror film of all time (with a cume of $6.9 million, surpassing The Nun).[30][31][32]

Critical response edit

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 37% of 115 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Earlier installments have had their moments, but behind Insidious: The Red Door lies the disappointing denouement of a once-frightening franchise."[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[34] 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.[23][22]

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".[35] 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".[36]

References edit

  1. ^ "Insidious: The Red Door". Writers Guild of America West. June 9, 2023. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  2. ^ "Insidious: The Red Door (15)". BBFC. June 15, 2023. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 5, 2023). "'Sound Of Freedom' & 'Indiana Jones' Duke It Out On July 4th; Can 'Insidious: The Red Door' Upset No. 1 Next Weekend? – Box Office". Box Office Pro. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Insidious: The Red Door". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Insidious: The Red Door". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  6. ^ Miska, Brad (February 22, 2018). "Surprise! Insidious: The Last Key Is the Highest Grossing Insidious Film!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  7. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (January 10, 2018). "'Insidious' and 'Sinister' Crossover May Happen According to Jason Blum". Comic Book. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  8. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 29, 2020). "Insidious 5 Moving Forward With Patrick Wilson Making Feature Directorial Debut – BlumFest". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Laman, Douglas (October 29, 2020). "Insidious 5 Announced by Blumhouse, Patrick Wilson To Direct". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  10. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (October 29, 2020). "Patrick Wilson to Make Directing Debut With 5th Insidious for Blumhouse". TheWrap. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  11. ^ Couch, Aaron (October 29, 2020). "Patrick Wilson to Make Directorial Debut With Insidious 5 | Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  12. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 29, 2020). "Patrick Wilson to Direct Insidious 5". Variety. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  13. ^ Romanchick, Shane (February 3, 2022). "Insidious 5: Patrick Wilson Reveals Filming Begins Spring 2022". Collider. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 5, 2022). "'Insidious 5': Peter Dager, Sinclair Daniel and Hiam Abbass Newest Additions To Cast For Next Installment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "'Insidious 5' horror movie filming in Madison, Chatham". Madison Eagle. New Jersey Hills Media Group. August 8, 2022. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  16. ^ John, Squires (August 22, 2022). "Fear the Dark: Filming Has Wrapped on 'Insidious Chapter 5'". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  17. ^ "Joseph Bishara Scoring Patrick Wilson's Insidious The Red Door". FilmMusicReporter. April 18, 2023. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Bishara, Joseph (July 7, 2023). "Insidious: The Red Door (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Madison Gate Records. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  19. ^ Singh, Surej (July 8, 2023). "Ghost and Patrick Wilson cover Shakespears Sister's 'Stay' for 'Insidious' soundtrack". NME. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 19, 2022). "Sony Moves Madame Web To Fall 2023, Dates Marvel Universe Title For Summer 2024". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  21. ^ "Insidious: The Red Door (2023)". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Murphy, J. Kim (July 8, 2023). "Box Office: 'Insidious: The Red Door' Knocking Down 'Indiana Jones 5' After $15.2 Million Opening Day". Variety. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  23. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 9, 2023). "'Insidious: The Red Door' Slams On 'Indiana Jones' With $32M+ Opening – Sunday AM Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  24. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 16, 2023). "'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' Sets Franchise 5-Day U.S. Opening Record With $80M – Sunday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 23, 2023). "'Barbie' Still Gorgeous With Best YTD $155M Opening; 'Oppenheimer' Ticking To $80M+ In Incredible $300M+ U.S. Box Office Weekend – Sunday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  26. ^ Torre, Nestor U. (August 27, 2005). "Making sense of the horror film craze". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. A3-1. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  27. ^ Torre, Nestor U. (November 23, 2006). "Chills and creepy thrills hit the spot". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. E2. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  28. ^ Torre, Nestor U. (July 28, 2007). "Two different ways to scare moviegoers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. F2. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  29. ^ a b "'Insidious: The Red Door' posts biggest opening weekend of 2023 in PHL with P205.6-M gross in 5 days". BusinessMirror. Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  30. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 16, 2023). "'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' Lights Fuse With $235M Global Bow; 'Elemental', 'Indy 5' & 'Insidious' Hit New Milestones – International Box Office". Deadline. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 28, 2023. ...Insidious: The Red Door is having a white-hot run in Southeast Asia, having become the highest grossing horror movie of all time in the Philippines with a $6M cume there.
  31. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 31, 2023). "'Barbie' Pirouettes To Powerhouse $781M Global, 'Oppenheimer' A Phenom At $406M WW Through Sunday – International Box Office Actuals Update". Deadline. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  32. ^ INQUIRER.net BrandRoom (September 18, 2018). "'The Nun' amasses $200M worldwide, P239.8M in PH". InqPOP!. INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2023. ...[The Nun's] cumulative gross has reached a staggering P239.8-M, after only nine days.
  33. ^ "Insidious: The Red Door". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 24, 2023.  
  34. ^ "Insidious: The Red Door". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  35. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (July 7, 2023). "Insidious: The Red Door Review: The Fifth Entry in the Series May Be the Least Insidious". Variety. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  36. ^ Navarro, Meagan (July 6, 2023). "'Insidious: The Red Door' Review – A Sentimental Swan Song for the Lambert Family". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

External links edit

  • Official website  
  • Insidious: The Red Door at IMDb