For those who don’t know, I am beautiful big fan of horror movies. I have watched them for years and years, from some of the best horror movies of all time that are certified classics to those that are relatively new such as the best A24 horror movies which have been released in the last few years. But one horror franchise that I think has had its ups and downs is Insidious.
From the moment of the first movie released in 2010, the film franchise became a huge hit, spawning multiple sequels. Although I don’t particularly think so Insidious films are james wan’s best – as i think so The spell universe holds that crown – still has four films within Insidious franchise that can be ranked so far, and a new one is coming out in 2023.
So, in honor of Insidious: The Red Door comes out in the summer of 2023, let’s talk about the first four films – and how we rank them.
4. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
Yes me really do not think Insidious: Chapter 2 is one of the best in this franchise. It honestly bothers me how bad it is compared to the first one.
Let’s find out why. First I will praise the movie. I have to say I really like it picks up right where the first movie left off. We have the same characters, stories and even the same actors, with both of the main stars from the first film, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, returning.
In many sequels such as on Halloween franchise, many of the details of the previous film are completely ignored or rehashed. For example with 2018 Halloween a sequel that was thought to be a new sequel to John Carpenter horror classicwith all the other films in the franchise basically ignored.
It’s not unusual for horror movies to do this, so I’ll give it credit and say that I’m happy that the second film in this franchise sticks to what came before. However, this is where my bragging ends.
I personally don’t think the performances in this are any better than the first, but I can handle a movie even if the acting isn’t as good as long as the scares are good. But Insidious: Chapter 2 it really doesn’t carry that many fears at all – if any. It’s not felt almost unique as the first film where it was filled with horror movie tropes but done so effectively.
It also doesn’t help that the film decides to take a tiresome route and turn Wilson’s Josh against his family, sort of The glow he did it. I’ve seen it before, I didn’t need to see a patriarch go after his family again. Maybe some people liked it, but for me it felt like lazy to write about a sequel to a movie that is so obviously better. It’s rare that a twist is really done well these days.
3. Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
ok Insidious: The Last Key it was actually better than I thought it would be. To be honest, I watched this movie for the first time before writing this article. 2018 was the year of some really good horror movies, like Ari Astaire’s hereditary as well as Upgrade, and more so Insidious franchise was one of the last few on my watch list.
I have to say, me at least enjoyed The last key a bit more than the first sequel, maybe because I like how it moved away from the core family of the first films and instead focused on Eliz. This is a big reason why the prequel movie was better for me.
Elise was one of the few characters from the first movie that I really liked and remembered, and I consider her the ultimate horror movie Scream Queen at this point. This is what makes me love this sequel so much. We really started to learn more about her troubled past, from her relationship with her brother and how she got to where she is now, all of which added to the feeling of an eerie background of horror.
The film itself seems much more emotional than many others Insidious movies because we’re more focused on the dynamic between Elise and her family than the demons, but sometimes that’s all you need in a horror movie – a good family dynamic and some good scares. The last key offers this and more.
2. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
I’m tired of hiding it – Insidious: Chapter 3 it’s better than Chapter 2 and I will stand by this decision, this is my hill on which I am ready to die.
Okay, maybe not I’m dying on it, but I feel it very strongly. I am huge fan of the prequels. I think if done right, prequels can really elevate a story and take it to the next level, adding more lore for fans to really enjoy the franchise, and Chapter 3 do this.
Not only do the scares feel a lot more authentic this time around, and the Lambert family is once again out of the picture, so we can once again focus on Elise and her story of coming out of retirement to help a girl who’s being haunted by demons.
As we dive further into the Further, I can’t help it I admire Lin Shaye’s performance. She is what makes this movie so good. The awkward nature of Insidious movies are still there, but not as fresh. However, if not for Shaye’s amazing a performance that really makes this movie so worth watching will be further down my list.
That’s why I think diving into her past was such an important thing that really shook up the franchise and shed more light on her life. I can always stand by that and say she deserves a lot of praise.
1. Insidious (2010)
I mean, is anyone surprised? Of course the first Insidious the movie would have been number one on that list.
I actually just I watched Insidious for the first time in years a few weeks ago, and even now I still think it’s one of the most genre-defining horror films of the 21st century. Sure, some of the scares are corny, but it was creative at the time and really messed with your head with uncomfortable imagery and more.
The first one Insidious not only did it introduce some scary-as-hell demons (at least at the time), but it created a whole different parallel universe that gave people so much to theorize about, something we delved into with the later films.
I really don’t think anything can beat it Insidious at number one, unless the latest sequel decides to repeat everything from before. For now, however, it remains at the top. From the performances of Patrick Wilson as a certified scream kingto Lynn Shay and even Rose Byrne, to that chilling edge of the cliff, Insidious remains at number one.
What we know about Insidious: The Red Door is coming out in the summer of 2023 and I wish I could watch all those movies again just for fun. Which one do you love the most? It’s time for a spooky horror movie marathon.