Dir: Jacob Chase
Cast: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson–Sellers, Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Island Austin, Laura Gordon
The majority of this tired and formulaic sixth instalment in the once chilling horror franchise relies on cheap and predictable scares before finally embracing its silliness by balancing campy supernatural fun with absurd logic
“Insidious” is one of those modern horror franchises that, much like its spectral villains, simply refuses to stay buried. Of course, horror has always been a genre where overstaying your welcome is practically a rite of passage, with titans like “Saw”, “Friday the 13th”, and “Halloween” all racking up entries into the double digits. Once a beloved and genuinely chilling series, “Insidious” sprang from the mind of Australian writer-director Leigh Whannell, who, alongside fellow Aussie filmmaker James Wan, has spent the last two decades haunting the genre’s highest peaks. While visionary auteurs like Jordan Peele and Robert Eggers have steered horror into more artful, cerebral territory, Wan and Whannell have thrived by luring audiences with a classic recipe: jump scares, ominous atmospheres, and the kind of thrills best enjoyed with a bucket of popcorn.
No one expects a sixteen-year-old franchise to feel fresh, but truthfully, I’ve never managed to board the “Insidious” ghost train. Amid the wave of blockbuster horrors from that era, it always seemed to lack the bone-deep dread of “Sinister” (2012) and the vintage supernatural flair of “The Conjuring” (2013), leaving it stranded in a kind of tonal purgatory. The first two films did deliver a handful of memorable moments—one jump scare in particular now lives in horror legend—but the initial buzz that greeted the series in 2010 has fizzled out, with even die-hard fans growing weary of its increasingly formulaic sequels.
Yet as long as these films keep raking in box office cash, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster will keep churning out instalments. Now, in an era where horror is one of cinema’s most vibrant playgrounds, we’re handed a sixth instalment with the groan-worthy subtitle “Insidious: Out of the Further”. The franchise’s hazily defined astral plane was always its one real calling card, so it’s no surprise that first-time major director Jacob Chase leans hard into this gimmick, hoping to jolt the series back to life.
This latest chapter sweeps aside the Lambert family and their tangled web of generational trauma, which has previously dominated the franchise, and instead presents a new cast of characters. Our new lead is Gemma (Amelia Eve), a single mother and dental hygienist, who lives with her daughter Maya (Island Austin) in the very house where, during the cold open, Gemma’s own mother suffered a breakdown and took her own life in the bathroom.
After a string of eerie visions, Gemma learns she’s not just any astral traveller—she’s a powerhouse, able to slip in and out of “the Further” and even pull objects back with her. When three grotesque, persistent elderly people begin haunting her in both worlds, Gemma discovers they’re followers of the late cult leader Cyrus Lam (Sam Spruell), who has set his sights on her as the key to unleashing himself and his spectral army. With reality itself on the line, Gemma finds an unlikely ally in the franchise’s resident demonologist, Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye).
I’ll admit, my expectations for this unnecessary, worn-out “Insidious” sequel were far from high, and most of the film only reminded me why I never cared for the series in the first place. Even with a relatively short 106-minute runtime, the story drags its feet, stumbling through limp supernatural scares while our protagonist reacts with almost comedic indifference. The film leans so heavily on jump scares and recycled horror tropes that it borders on self-parody, and its shallow dive into generational trauma leaves little reason to root for anyone. The trio of elderly acolytes who torment Gemma are more absurdly grotesque than frightening, with Jacob Chase channelling a Sam Raimi-style gross-out vibe reminiscent of the infamous gypsy from 2009’s “Drag Me to Hell”.
The main villain, who shows up far too late to inspire any real menace, is so bland and transparent in his motives that he feels more like a scheming B-movie baddie than a chilling supernatural force. Yet, when the film finally drops the pretense and leans into its own absurdity, swapping tension for a wave of popcorn thrills reminiscent of “Poltergeist”, it actually becomes entertaining—not scary, but at least lively enough to jolt me awake after a snoozy first hour. Once the film accepts the ridiculousness of its astral-hopping plot and stops taking itself so seriously, the endless exposition and repeated reminders of franchise lore become less grating. At that point, it’s easier to just sit back and enjoy the ride, however silly it gets.
The performances are competent, but the actors are boxed in by the flatness of their roles. Amelia Eve throws herself into the film’s emotional heart, capturing the relentless anxiety of a mother desperate to protect her child from real-life monsters. Yet the script keeps her character on a short leash, never letting her personality or emotions truly shine, using her mostly as a vehicle for the movie’s plodding beats. And then there is Lyn Shaye, back once more as the franchise’s indestructible paranormal investigator. Even after her character’s dramatic exit in the original 2010 film, Shaye keeps reappearing in every sequel and prequel, as unstoppable as the series itself. She steps out of the misty Further, lantern in hand, like a spectral tour guide, delivering exposition and tossing out lines like “It’s what I do” with the ease of someone who acts as if catchphrases never go out of style.
In the end, “Insidious: Out of the Further” is a wisp of a sequel, thin and stale, struggling to justify its own existence. It wastes a promising setup on a parade of predictable scares and lazy jump tactics, weighed down by convoluted rules and endless exposition. Still, a campy, chaotic finale offers a glimmer of fun. Die-hard fans might find enough call-backs and cameos to justify a watch, but for everyone else, this sixth outing is a clear sign the creative well has run dry. It’s time for Blumhouse to shut the Red Door, snuff out Elise’s lantern, and let this franchise finally rest in peace.
Insidious: out of the Further is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
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