‘Insidious: The Last Key’ Takes Us A Bit “Further” Into The Further With Some Twists (Movie Review)
Just when movie going audiences thought it was finally safe to go back into The Further. Surprise! It is NOT! I bet you never saw a fourth Insidious film coming, did you? Given the low budget and success of the first three this was actually a no-brainer. I wish there were more surefire guarantees like this in life. I’d be a rich man, but I digress. Insidious: The Last Key is yes the fourth installment in the Insidious franchise, but if you’re going by chronology of the in-story timelines this is actually second in order. Confused yet? Don’t be! You just need to refresh up a bit down below before venturing into The Further blindly. Come on! I’ll show you around here.
Once again this newest Insidious entry is written by Leigh Whannell, but directorial duties are passed to Adam Robitel (The Taking of Deborah Logan). Insidious: The Last Key stars series regulars Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell along with Spencer Locke, Josh Stewart and Caitlin Gerard. The most interesting thing to me about this fourth entry is the fact it was originally slated for October last year, but got bumped for Blumhouse’s Happy Death Day. The latter I want to see really bad based on so many positive reviews, but I digress once again as we’re not here to chat about that one. We’re gathered here today talk about Elise Rainier’s (Share) next adventure where she dives even deeper into The Further down in New Mexico.
Our movie here begins with parapsychologist Elise Rainier receiving what is probably a usual, everyday kind of morning phone call from a man who claims that his house is haunted. However, what creeps her out is the fact that this address is 413 Apple Tree Lane, Five Keys, N.M. What’s so odd about that you ask? Well that’s the home where Elise grew up in. We learn through a lengthy flashback that Elise didn’t have an exactly happy childhood. Accompanied with her two fan favorite investigative partners (Whannell and Sampson), Rainier travels to Five Keys to confront a demon she knows all too well. Now I know what you’re thinking. This sounds ultra familiar, huh? Well, it is and it isn’t. The isn’t part is due to the twists they throw at you here, which are very welcomed, and the is what you would expect. Yes, we have to go into The Further here to resolve things. Let’s chat about the isn’t part first.
The praise I would give Insidious: The Last Key is two-fold. The tension, score and sinister atmosphere of it all really got under my skin in a good, tension-filled kind of way. The jump scares were plentiful and I’m not ashamed to say two of them actually got me. No movies do that to me anymore so kudos to Insidious: The Last Key for at least that much. What I also liked an awful lot about this fourth entry is how they threw a couple game changing monkey wrenches in for twisted play. It was much welcomed since it wasn’t all just a complete rehash of the first three films that have come before. They actually brought some twists into play that I didn’t immediately see coming. I guess I would describe it as Stir of Echoes meets Don’t Breathe. I won’t say anymore than that, but I loved how they brought some new things into the mix and my lips are zipped.
With the good usually comes some bad and with Insidious it all has to do with familiarity. I had no qualms with the cast, especially the antics of Elise’s two guys. They as usual never cease to crack me up. What bothers me is how familiar things are. Without the twists I mentioned up above this one nearly follows in the same footsteps as its predecessors. First you have the haunting setup. Then you have all the fun and games of the scares followed by Act 3 which takes you into The Further. I don’t know, but The Further was so much cooler the first couple films. I almost feel a bit cheated here. And don’t even get me started on the hypnotism thing here. My oh my.
All in all I had fun with Insidious: The Last Key, but that’s not to say there aren’t lulls and some unmemorable scenes you’ll have to contend with. It wraps up pretty conveniently, as they all do, but for the first time ever I felt a sense of closure. The Last Key pretty much comes full circle with events in the franchise and I’d be really surprised if they go on with a fifth entry. I think the crowds would be there for it, but given our current cast I’m not sure where else there is room to go story-wise. Since I didn’t hate it and wouldn’t mind watching it again I’m going to be extra kind here with my score. However, bear in mind it’s really just an average entry. They never get any better than the first. They may be a tad more sinister, but never better. Enjoy!
Brian White
Owner/Writer/Reviewer/Editor, Dreamer, Producer, Agent of Love, Film Lover, Writer of Screenplays and a Devoted Apostle to all things Ford Mustangs (the real ones with V8's!). Some of my favorite films include FIGHT CLUB, MOULIN ROUGE, THE DARK KNIGHT, STAR WARS alongside television shows such as SEINFELD, 24, SANFORD & SON and even the often loathed in the geek community BIG BANG THEORY. Outside of my three lives I live I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our three girls (of the furry kind).
