The Review (Spoiler Free)
“Insidious: The Last Key” marks the fourth installment in the popular “Insidious” franchise, and it takes viewers back to the origins of the series’ beloved parapsychologist, Dr. Elise Rainier. Directed by Adam Robitel and written by Leigh Whannell, the film delves into Elise’s haunting past, bringing a personal touch to the supernatural horrors that have become a hallmark of the series.
The movie opens with a disturbing phone call that leads Elise (played by Lin Shaye) back to her childhood home in New Mexico, a place riddled with traumatic memories and dark secrets. Accompanied by her quirky and tech-savvy assistants, Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell), Elise confronts the demons of her past—both literal and figurative.
Critics have had mixed feelings about this chapter of the “Insidious” saga. Some have praised the film for its character-driven narrative and the depth it adds to Elise’s backstory, while others have criticized it for relying too heavily on jump scares and not offering enough fresh material to stand out in the crowded horror genre. Despite the mixed reviews, Lin Shaye’s performance has been widely recognized as a strong point, with her portrayal of Elise providing a solid anchor for the film’s supernatural escapades.
The film’s atmosphere is one of its standout features, with Robitel creating a tone that is both mournful and warm. This ambiance helps to engender sympathy for the characters, even as the action turns somber or gruesome. The setting of Elise’s childhood home, with its proximity to an oil derrick and a prison, adds a layer of eeriness to the unfolding events.
“Insidious: The Last Key” may not be the strongest entry in the franchise, but it offers fans another opportunity to dive into the “Insidious” universe. It’s a film that will likely appeal to those who have followed Elise’s journey from the beginning, offering closure to her story while still leaving the door open for future installments.
For those who are new to the series, “The Last Key” might not be the best starting point, as it assumes a certain level of familiarity with the characters and their histories. However, for dedicated fans and horror enthusiasts, it’s a movie that provides the chills and thrills expected from the “Insidious” name, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel.
Spoiler Ending and Recap (Spoiler Alert)
I like how Insidious series plays with different time line. First Insidious is about a family with a little boy who got possessed with a demon. So the family called Elaine character for help. Here we find out that the boy has special gift to travel to scary place called “The further”. We also learned that this gift is inherit from his dad. At the end, Dad is able to save the boy, but he brought back a scary old lady ghost with black dress. At the end of the movie, they killed off Elaine character.
In Insidious 2, we get to learn little bit more about Elaine character’s past. We also get to learn what happened to the dad from first Insidious. I turned out when the dad was little boy, he also had similar experience where young Elaine was able to help him. The dad had completely blocked off this experience.
I like how first and second Insidious ties in nicely together. Insidious 2 is pretty much continuation from the first one. In Insidious 2, the dad is now possessed and he is terrorizing the family. Since Elaine is dead, she can’t help the family. But Elaine’s two side sicks are back plus Elaine’s old friend came to help the family. The scary old lady with black dress turned out to be a man. He is psychotic serial killer who dress as his mother to kill for his mother who is also psychotic. We thought that this was the end of Elaine character, but the ghost of Elaine ended up saving the family. At the end of the movie, ghost of Elaine continues to help other with the two side kicks. But unfortunate, the Insidious 3 and 4 don’t really get into this time line. Insidious 3 and 4 continue to dig into Elaine’s past.
Insidious 3 continues to tell story of Elaine. It is prequel to Insidious 1. It turned out Elaine stopped helping people for a while because she fears that the scary old lady in a black dress from Insidious 2 is going to kill her. Also we found out she had a husband who committed a suicide, and it tells story how Elaine met the two side kicks and how they started to work together.
Insidious 4 picks up where it left off from Insidious 3. In Insidious 4, we get to learn about Elaine’s childhood. We get to meet her father, mother, and her brother. We found out her father was very evil man. At the end of the movie, it connects nicely to the first Insidious movie. At the same, it re-introduced to the ghost that resembles Darth Maul from Star Wars from first two Insidious. Hopefully, in next Insidious series, we get to learn more about this ghost.
In the Nutshell
“Insidious: The Last Key” is a film that balances the personal with the paranormal, giving audiences a glimpse into the protagonist’s troubled past while delivering the scares that they crave. While it may not be groundbreaking, it is a fitting continuation of a franchise that has captivated viewers with its unique blend of horror and heart. [3 out of 5 stars]
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Genre: Paranormal
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This movie focuses on Elise’s character and that is undeniably the best part of the film. The scary scenes feel too similar to what we have seen in the previous installments but overall, it was enjoyable.