Insidious: The Red Door

First of all, it's definitely not the best horror film I've ever seen. It's not going to win any Oscar's or leave you gasping in awe. However, it's certainly not a terrible as some of the reviews suggest.

It holds your attention and has some great jump scares.

On the negative side, I'm a huge fan of the insidious movies, but this just doesn't feel like it belongs with the others.

The plot isn't terrible, but the college scenes are a bit cheesy, overacted and stereotypical. The whole sorority thing has been overdone.

In short, as a stand-alone movie this is fine. A solid 6/6.5. It just doesn't have the insidious feel for me.

Well guys... despite me really looking forward to this new installment in the franchise and an overall excitement for what was to come... I must say I was generally disappointed. This series started on a high note with a steady decline in quality and intrigue but never landed below average. Each one brought something seemingly new and different to the table... this one, however, I cannot say the same about.

This was essentially just a retelling of the first story but 9 years later. Like, truly guys, it was pretty much the same. I kept waiting and waiting to feel like something was happening. Something interesting, something new or exciting... really, just anything besides a jump scare. All of a sudden I was over 2/3s of the way through and the story was just not delivering. It rounded out being a bit of a bore as far as action/plot went.

The production was also greatly hindered in my opinion by other variables such as script, acting and characters. The script was... poor. It felt like an amalgamation of every cliché line and trope you have ever heard in a horror movie put into one script. I audibly laughed at certain lines because they were just too much to handle lol.

Also the characters were just plainily not super relatable or enjoyable. The dad was just a little too pathetic to where it was a bit cringe, the son was so much of that "irritable, bratty teenager" that it was irksome... and don't get me started on that TIRED, cliche character of the "quirky random stranger that is blunt, pushes comfort zones and becomes best friends with the main character in 12 hours". I think between the script and the characters... the actors didn't have all that much to work with, but if I had to make a blanket statement regarding that, I would say the acting was unsuccessful.

Despite these faults, I wouldn't say that this was entirely unsuccessful as a whole. Being a fan of this universe, it was nice to see these characters, monsters and plots revisited. There were some genuine scares and solid spook factor despite them primarily relying on jump scares. Unfortunately I just don't think they really pushed this in creating something new, fun, fresh and original. I found myself exiting the theater asking myself "why"... like what was their goal in making this, what was their point. I'm giving this a 4.5 rounding down to a 4. It wasn't awful, but as far as recommendation goes I don't think you're missing out on much if you pass on it.

IG - howlingatthemoonreviews.

The guy sitting next to me covered his ears for literally the entire movie. I don't blame him, as there were a frustrating amount of obnoxious, tasteless jump scares.

But an equal amount of the scares were EXTREMELY effective, involving clearly thoughtful placement of disturbing imagery and refreshing patience. Patrick Wilson's extensive experience in horror films gave him insight on how to craft atmosphere. I just wish he would have done it more often.

The story does find good reasons to exist-to continue this long-delayed franchise. It explores themes of memory that feel like a natural continuation of the Lambert's story. And it culminates in an emotionally satisfying ending.

It's just that the script too often falls upon stilted, unnatural dialogue and is paced without a sense of progression, and it makes this movie a lot less effective and memorable than it could have been with the many good ideas on display.

This entry and hopefully conclusion to the franchise was not a masterpiece, but also wasn't bad either. It is a typical horror film and one that made me jump a few times which is something movies don't seem to make me do anymore. It is no where near as good in story as the first two films, but is better than 3 and 4 by a long shot. I don't think this movie had the same tone as the first two which was hard to get used to, but wasn't bad either. Unlike other reviews, I enjoyed the first 2/3s of the film more than the ending that seemed sort of rushed and random. It is a must see for fans of the franchise, but for a casual movie goer this might not be your thing.

I couldn't help but believe that the horror component of the film fell short of expectations as it neared its finale. It's impossible to say whether this occurred as a result of my yearlong exposure to a large number of horror films or if there was a problem with the writing. I wished there had been more genuinely horrific and spine-chilling moments because the ending felt a little hurried. The emotional depth between the characters was another component I hoped had been further addressed in the movie.

The movie did, however, have certain advantages. An unsettling mood was created by the cinematography and visual effects, which added to the overall suspense. The tension was effectively heightened by the use of lighting and sound design, increasing the audience's anticipation during crucial scenes.