On January 5, the fourth installment of the Insidious franchise was released in American theaters. Entitled Insidious: The Last Key, the film presents no great departure from its three predecessors. Neither here nor there, the flick dances by with the same cadence and mediocrity viewers have come to expect. That being said, audiences new to these films will not have any trouble following the plot - and those who are already familiar with Insidious will not be disappointed.
Lin Shaye reprises her role as Elise Rainier in Insidious: The Last Key. She turns in a strong performance and appears to be rather comfortable in the part at this point. It is certainly a challenge to carry the focus in a supernatural/horror film for any extended period of time, as the line between scary and silly is rather fine. Shaye, therefore, deserves some credit, as her character comprises approximately 80 percent of the film.
Meanwhile, her two male sidekicks were somewhat lackluster. It was difficult to determine whether it was the actors, writing or direction - or some combination thereof - that caused this. In any case, it was apparent that their parts predominantly consisted of one-liners that were meant to even out the mood.
However, the awkward attempts at humor mostly inspired groans, rather than chuckles, from the audience. The remainder of the cast was not particularly memorable but overall turned in solid performances.
Some wasted potential with Insidious: The Last Key
Overall, Insidious: The Last Key had a few good “scare” moments and some knockout visuals. The cinematography was solid and production design remains interesting. The plot has some great potential, but only met some of it. Audiences leave theaters with only a bird’s-eye view of what could have been a truly engrossing tale.
While there were some very interesting moments, and it was generally entertaining, this movie fell into several stereotypical pitfalls. Why did he not call the police before running into a house to confront a dangerous person? If you know an entity wants to trap you and use your powers, why hand yourself over? These issues are likely to keep many horror buffs at arm’s length.
Insidious: The Last Key, while not a complete bomb, is not likely to stay in the public consciousness for any extended length of time. It is an entertaining film for anyone looking to dip one toe in horror while staying a safe emotional distance away.