Insidious: Out of the Further left me wanting more, in a good way
As a longtime fan of the Insidious franchise, I was excited to head back into the Further for the sixth film, Insidious: Out of the Further. As a fan, I definitely have my favorite Insidious movies and others that didn’t move me as much. Each has its own feel, and Out of the Further is no exception.
This time we meet Gemma (Amelia Eve), a single mom raising her daughter Maya (Island Austin) in the same house where she grew up—a home that comes with childhood memories and trauma she would probably rather leave buried. But this is Insidious, and we already know buried things don’t always stay that way.
When increasingly disturbing things begin happening around Gemma and Maya, their story once again opens a door to the Further and brings back the one person I would absolutely want on my side if something followed me home: Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye).
In fact, the cast is filled with strong women, with Ingrid (Laura Gordon), Gemma and Maya representing different generations trying to find their way through the darkness. There is an empathy in this film that I haven’t felt as strongly in the franchise before. I found myself connecting with these women and caring about what happened to them—not simply waiting for the next ghost or demon to appear.
And, of course, there are plenty of those.
The elderly trio featured in the trailer? Their appearance is only the beginning of their twisted contribution. There are interesting turns, familiar frightening faces and some genuinely disturbing new imagery.
Visually, Out of the Further is dark and dimly lit, and once we enter the Further, things get even darker and the fog rolls in. There were moments when I found myself searching the background, trying to figure out if I was actually seeing something hiding in the darkness. Add that distinctive Insidious music and sound, and the uneasy feeling came on quickly and rarely left.
We’ve seen houses haunted. We’ve watched doors open on their own, heard footsteps coming from empty rooms and learned repeatedly that basements should probably just be avoided altogether. There is something unsettling about the place that is supposed to be your shelter suddenly being filled with ghosts. Where exactly are you supposed to run when the scary thing is already inside?
But Out of the Further managed to ruin another supposedly safe space for me: a couch fort.
The childhood definition of safety has now been added to the list of places I apparently need to fear.
I hid my eyes more than once—and not only because I was scared.
There are dental scenes; apparently I have discovered a new fear, along with a strong desire to improve my personal dental hygiene.
My biggest complaint is that I wanted more backstory on Cyrus (Sam Spruell), an intriguing and disturbing addition to the things I never want to encounter in the Further. Then again, how much do we really know about many of the demons and entities in these movies? Maybe they were giving us just enough to be scared and scarred.
Ultimately, Out of the Further gave me what I wanted from another Insidious: I cared about the characters, I was uncomfortable, I was grossed out and, most importantly, I was scared.
I definitely recommend it. It’s a strong addition to the franchise, and after six movies, maybe the best compliment I can give it is that I walked out wanting another Insidious movie—and ready for a franchise rewatch.
Preferably from the safety of a couch fort.
Actually, scratch that. Apparently those aren’t safe anymore either.
