INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY has enough effective scares to keep the fans entertained but it will not bring in new converts though. It's not the best installment out of the entire franchise but it's a decent prequel that serves its purpose and that is to put further spotlight on the legacy of one of horror genre's most underrated icons, actress Lin Shaye.
Brought to you by the same creative minds behind "Insidious" trilogy, this fourth installment, Insidious: The Last Key takes you back to the beginning, to the family history of renowned parapsychologist, Dr. Elise Rainer and how the haunting in her own family home has returned with a vengeance. It is up to Elise and her spectral sighting team to defeat this demon once and for all.
Even though Insidious: The Last Key is directed by somebody new to the franchise, Adam Robitel, much of the style follows suit with its predecessors, so in a way, this movie is very formulaic, the objective is the same which is to present to you a big bad villain in a form of a demon at the end of the story and that's not really a spoiler because the other movies did the same thing. Because this is a prequel, it takes its time in setting the whole thing up in terms of Elise's family and the abuse she and her brother endured when they were kids. This part, these flashbacks are just as creepy, if not creepier than what's happening in the present day with Elise trying to communicate with spirits in the dark.
By the way, actress Lin Shaye has been in this business and specifically has been part of this genre forever, so as a fan, it really is cool to see a movie like this that allows her to showcase her all, that gives her room and space to do what she does best, in a way, they might as well have titled this movie, Insidious The Lin Shaye lifetime achievement award.
I actually enjoyed how the film presents Elise's background, the whole theme of it kinda resonates with any kid who grows up feeling different and the parents try to beat it out of you instead of helping you embrace your specialty and uniqueness. So that approach does help in making you empathize with Elise which is an effective strategy in any horror film because the jump scares can only do so much, what's truly scary is when you feel scared for the safety of the characters whose journey you've been following, and that's what Insidious: The Last Key offers. I'm also mildly amused by the comic relief of Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson who play Elise's sidekicks, granted some of the humor does feel a bit dumb but they mean well, so it's one of those that just make you shake your head and dismiss them as immature children. Insidious The Last Key is scary enough, it's entertaining enough for the fans, it's a popcorn horror thriller you'd want to take your girlfriend to see just so that she can curl up next to you when she feels squeamish, this really is a movie just for the fans of the franchise, and despite some of its few ridiculous scenes, I think overall they're going to be grateful that this installment exists.
-- Rama's Screen --
Brought to you by the same creative minds behind "Insidious" trilogy, this fourth installment, Insidious: The Last Key takes you back to the beginning, to the family history of renowned parapsychologist, Dr. Elise Rainer and how the haunting in her own family home has returned with a vengeance. It is up to Elise and her spectral sighting team to defeat this demon once and for all.
Even though Insidious: The Last Key is directed by somebody new to the franchise, Adam Robitel, much of the style follows suit with its predecessors, so in a way, this movie is very formulaic, the objective is the same which is to present to you a big bad villain in a form of a demon at the end of the story and that's not really a spoiler because the other movies did the same thing. Because this is a prequel, it takes its time in setting the whole thing up in terms of Elise's family and the abuse she and her brother endured when they were kids. This part, these flashbacks are just as creepy, if not creepier than what's happening in the present day with Elise trying to communicate with spirits in the dark.
By the way, actress Lin Shaye has been in this business and specifically has been part of this genre forever, so as a fan, it really is cool to see a movie like this that allows her to showcase her all, that gives her room and space to do what she does best, in a way, they might as well have titled this movie, Insidious The Lin Shaye lifetime achievement award.
I actually enjoyed how the film presents Elise's background, the whole theme of it kinda resonates with any kid who grows up feeling different and the parents try to beat it out of you instead of helping you embrace your specialty and uniqueness. So that approach does help in making you empathize with Elise which is an effective strategy in any horror film because the jump scares can only do so much, what's truly scary is when you feel scared for the safety of the characters whose journey you've been following, and that's what Insidious: The Last Key offers. I'm also mildly amused by the comic relief of Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson who play Elise's sidekicks, granted some of the humor does feel a bit dumb but they mean well, so it's one of those that just make you shake your head and dismiss them as immature children. Insidious The Last Key is scary enough, it's entertaining enough for the fans, it's a popcorn horror thriller you'd want to take your girlfriend to see just so that she can curl up next to you when she feels squeamish, this really is a movie just for the fans of the franchise, and despite some of its few ridiculous scenes, I think overall they're going to be grateful that this installment exists.
-- Rama's Screen --