Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fifth in ghost franchise underwhelms; violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Insidious: The Red Door
What's the Story?
In INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR, it's been nine years since the events of Insidious: Chapter 2, in which young Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and his father, Josh (Patrick Wilson), had hypnosis to suppress the memories of their horrific experiences. Dalton has become a sullen teen who's about to head off to art school. And Josh has felt "foggy" ever since the hypnotism, his marriage to Renai (Rose Byrne) falling apart and his relationship with Dalton deteriorating. In school, Dalton's art professor (Hiam Abbass) encourages him to dig deep for inspiration, and some of the old terrifying entities begin to make themselves known again. With the help of his new college friend Chris (Sinclair Daniel), Dalton discovers that he can "astral project" and starts looking for answers. But, unfortunately, he goes a bit too far, and both father and son wind up inside The Further once more.
Is It Any Good?
The fifth Insidious movie starts strong, with fresh character touches and chilling, eerily quiet moments, but it eventually suffers from a sequel's usual diminishing returns. Making his debut as director, star Wilson brings Insidious: The Red Door back to the Lambert family, whom we last saw in Insidious: Chapter 2. (Insidious: Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key were both prequels.) As an actor, Wilson seems interested in the movie's characters and their relationships, which are strained both by their horrific pasts and their suppressed memories. He also has a few nifty ideas for creeping scares, such as one in which he sits in the cab of his truck, or when he plays a "memory game" in his living room, or -- most nail-bitingly -- gets stuck inside an MRI machine. And the addition of Dalton's friend Chris is a delightful burst of silly energy.
But as Dalton and Josh spend more time apart and the plot gets rolling, it starts to feel overly familiar -- and more than a little tired. Even The Further seems far less terrifying than it once did. Wilson's directing career could be promising, but Insidious: The Red Door is a sign that maybe this franchise should close up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Insidious: The Red Door's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How scary is the movie? What's the appeal of horror movies?
Do you agree with Dalton when he says that "forgetting doesn't work; we need to remember, even the things that hurt." Why, or why not?
What's the nature of the father-son relationship in this movie? How does it compare to your real-life relationships?
How does this film compare to the four previous movies in the Insidious series?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 7, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : August 1, 2023
- Cast : Ty Simpkins , Patrick Wilson , Sinclair Daniel
- Director : Patrick Wilson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Screen Gems , Stage 6 Films
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, terror, frightening images, strong language and suggestive references
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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