Insidious: Out of the Further feels initially set up for failure in its procedural lineage, especially in an era dominated by high-concept indie horror movies that are more creative, original, daring, and scary. Over the past decade and a half, these Insidious movies have carved out their own specific subgenre of mainstream PG-13 horror. Six entries deep, it’s striking that this latest chapter manages to be effective for what it is. What begins as a substandard, paint-by-numbers late franchise installment slowly redeems itself through passionate direction, inventive set-piece craft, and an ambitious third-act swing.
Insidious: Out of the Further Review
A still from Insidious: Out of the Further. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
A still from Insidious: Out of the Further. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
A still from Insidious: Out of the Further. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Out of the Further follows Gemma (Amelia Eve). We open in 1999, where her disturbed mother dies by suicide right in front of her. It’s the kind of generic, spooky prologue with creepy parenting, ominous whispers, and fast-moving shadows that risks setting the movie up as basic. Cut to decades later, and Gemma is working as a dental hygienist, living in that same childhood home with her young daughter Maya (Island Austin) and spending time with her cop boyfriend Nick (Brandon Perea). Soon enough, the family is relentlessly targeted by the malevolent entities of the Further. A sinister demonic figure named Cyrus (Sam Spruell) begins playing conniving mental tricks on Gemma, systematically wearing down her sanity through a series of intricately staged horror sequences.
At first, these scares feel placed throughout the runtime out of sheer mechanical obligation, even if they do offer solid baseline entertainment. By the second half, director Jacob Chase largely trades out traditional atmospheric dread for an action-heavy, creature-stuffed escalation that turns out to be a more interesting movie. In many ways, the picture is split down the middle: the first half is standard haunted-house jump scares with creepy old figures, while the second half leans into outright demonic pandemonium.
Related: How To Watch Insidious, The Conjuring, and Annabelle Films In Order
My biggest personal complaint about the experience is that I wasn’t scared for a moment. Part of that is how my brain is wired, but it’s also an inevitable byproduct of the film constantly bumping against its PG-13 ceiling. Despite that lack of terror, the technical merit on display is undeniable. A lot of the set pieces feel like they were conceived for an R-rated movie and then cleverly trimmed right before crossing the line with the ratings board.
Sequences like a runaway dental drill coming toward a character’s mouth or fingernails being pried off are cheekily orchestrated to milk every drop of tension, only to cut away right before turning stomach-churning. It’s a smart way to maximize the PG-13 framework, though you can’t help but wonder how much punchier the concepts would be if the filmmakers were allowed to go unrestricted.
A still from Insidious: Out of the Further. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
A still from Insidious: Out of the Further. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
A still from Insidious: Out of the Further. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
As usual with this series, franchise staple Elise Rainier is back, once again played by horror veteran Lin Shaye. This time, Elise communicates from the astral plane by channeling through a tattoo artist and medium named Clare (Maisie Richardson-Sellers). Shaye remains the beating heart of this universe, and the mirror-trick astral sequences between her and Richardson-Sellers give the midsection a nice visual jolt. The rest of the ensemble functions much like the movie itself: starting a bit shaky before finding solid footing as the stakes escalate. Amelia Eve carries the heavy emotional lifting admirably, selling the toll of generational trauma even when the script leaves her character thin. Young Island Austin is good as the daughter, while Brandon Perea brings a lot of natural charm to the supportive boyfriend role.
Is Insidious: Out of the Further worth watching?
Insidious: Out of the Further has to hit a long list of studio tropes, and it can’t escape all the shackles of its franchise formula. Yet, when it counts, the direction feels energetic and visually playful. It sits on the lower end of a recommendation, but the chaotic ambition of the final act provides enough fun to justify the ride. It’s far from the best entry this universe has produced, but it’s a watchable effort for a series you would assume had run out of steam.
Insidious: Out of the Further releases in theaters on August 21.
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