Insidious: The Red Door 2023

The curtains open on a poignant scene: Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins), still grappling with the aftershocks of their harrowing experiences in The Further, undergo a ritualistic erasure of their memories. A decade later, Josh’s personal life is marked by divorce from Renai (Rose Byrne), with whom he shares a strained relationship. At the funeral for his mother Lorraine, Renai brings Dalton, Foster (Andrew Astor), and Kali (Juliana Davies) in tow. As they gather to pay their respects, Renai tactfully broaches the subject of Josh driving Dalton to college, an endeavor that will undoubtedly stir up old wounds.

As Josh navigates the somber atmosphere, his gaze falls upon Carl (Steve Coulter), a man who claims to have known Lorraine. Their conversation is laced with an air of nostalgia and curiosity. In the midst of this encounter, Josh’s phone rings, bearing a message from Dalton indicating his willingness to embark on the college-bound journey. Behind Josh’s car, a fleeting figure appears, shrouded in uncertainty, before vanishing into thin air.

The wheels set in motion as Josh drives Dalton to his liberal arts school, where they meet Chris Winslow (Sinclair Daniel), his roommate. However, their initial meeting is marred by a misunderstanding that stems from the misconception about Chris’s gender. As Dalton settles into his new environment, he begins to express his resentment towards Josh, labeling him an “ungrateful shit.” The emotional toll of these words is palpable as both father and son struggle to contain their emotions.

As Dalton delves into his artistic pursuits under the guidance of Professor Armagan (Hiam Abbass), a harsh critic who tears down her students’ work with ruthless efficiency. When one student refuses to comply, she promptly dismisses him from class. Her words echo in Dalton’s mind as he begins to destroy the drawing he created of Lorraine, despite Armagan’s initial praise for its beauty. This seemingly innocuous act sets off a chain reaction that awakens something deep within Josh.

The veil lifts on a series of events that will unravel the tangled threads of their pasts and reveal the dark forces that lurk in The Further, threatening to consume them once more.

As Chris attempts to forge a connection with Dalton, he opens up about the dark memories that have haunted him since childhood. He recounts his ten-year-old self’s eerie experience, where he lost all recollection of events, and the resulting fear of the dark led him to seek solace in a bright night light. Meanwhile, Josh’s trip to the doctor takes an unexpected turn when he becomes disoriented during an MRI scan. As the lights dim, he hallucinates a sinister presence creeping towards him, sending his panic into overdrive. The doctor’s reassuring words – that Josh was simply asleep for 15 minutes and the scan went smoothly – do little to calm his nerves.

As Dalton’s bond with Chris deepens, they sneak into the lair of notorious frat boy Nick “The Dick” (Peter Dager), where an eerie encounter awaits. In a desperate bid to connect with the spirit world, Dalton finds himself in The Further, confronting the restless energy of a young fraternity pledge who met a tragic end during a hazing ritual. The deceased’s anguished pleas to be left alone only intensify as Dalton takes refuge under Nick’s bed, dodging the frat boy’s nocturnal activities. Chris, ever the protector, swoops in to save Dalton from further distress, fabricating a flippant moment with Nick that defuses any potential awkwardness.

Later that night, Dalton’s astral projection takes him on a journey through The Further, where he materializes in Chris’s new quarters. His fingers dance across her keyboard, jolting her awake and alerting her to his ethereal presence. In the dead of night, Chris returns to Dalton’s room, where he struggles to verbalize the disturbing visions that have been plaguing him. As Chris delves deeper into the mysteries of astral projection, she stumbles upon a cache of cryptic videos featuring Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell), as well as an enigmatic clip featuring Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye), whose name sparks a faint recognition within Dalton.

As Josh futilely attempts to jog his fading memories by hanging cherished photographs of loved ones around his home, a sense of unease settles over him like a shroud. Meanwhile, the enigmatic figure that had stalked him at the cemetery begins to close in, its presence palpable and menacing. The tension culminates with a sudden and violent breach of Josh’s window, as the entity crashes through the glass and launches a ferocious attack on Josh. In the aftermath, amidst the chaos and destruction, Josh stumbles upon a mysterious box labeled “Ben Burton”. As he delves into Ben’s troubled past as a mental patient who succumbed to despair, Josh is confronted with a profound revelation: Ben was his long-lost father, a truth that had been shrouded in secrecy and blame. A poignant note on the back of one photograph serves as a haunting epiphany: “This ends with me”, suggesting that Ben’s ultimate act of desperation was an attempt to sever the ties between himself and his family, thereby preventing them from succumbing to The Further.

In a parallel narrative, Chris joins Dalton in a clandestine astral projection ritual at Nick’s dorm room, driven by Dalton’s determination to communicate with the restless spirit of the deceased pledge. As they venture into the realm of The Further, a more malevolent entity sets its sights on Dalton, while a corresponding assault ravages Chris’s physical form in the real world. Nick stumbles upon Chris’s unconscious form and manages to revive her, only for her to make a solemn declaration: she can no longer participate in their perilous endeavors.

As Josh seeks solace at Renai’s residence, he confronts his estranged wife about the long-buried secrets that have driven them apart. Through their candid conversation, the dark truth behind their divorce is slowly revealed: a demonic influence had taken hold of Josh, compelling him to chase Renai and their children with a hammer – an event graphically depicted by Dalton in his artwork, with Josh portrayed as a monstrous figure. Shaken by this revelation, Josh realizes he must once again confront The Further, driven by a newfound determination to put an end to the malevolent forces that have ravaged his life.

As Dalton’s psyche continues to grapple with the traumatic memories of Josh’s violent intentions towards his family, a parallel narrative unfolds in the real world. Unbeknownst to Dalton, one of the malevolent entities from The Further has taken possession of his physical form, seeking to wreak havoc once more on Chris. Meanwhile, Josh and Dalton reunite, driven by a shared desire to escape the clutches of Lipstick-Face (Joseph Bishara), a demon who seems hell-bent on tormenting them further.

As they desperately attempt to flee from their pursuer, Dalton manages to break free, but Josh elects to remain behind, convinced that it is his duty to vanquish the evil forces. His journey takes him to the enigmatic red door, which Dalton had previously drawn, only for it to disappear as he paints over it in a bid to trap Lipstick-Face behind its now-invisible threshold.

This moment of catharsis is accompanied by a profound vision, as Josh beholds Ben’s serene smile, and seemingly forgives him for abandoning him. Upon awakening, Renai and Foster greet Josh with relief, while Dalton and Chris find solace in each other’s company as the ordeal comes to a close.

As the dust settles, Josh and Renai appear to be rekindling their relationship, with the possibility of Josh returning to her side. Prior to his departure, however, he is visited by an ethereal apparition of Elise, who prophesies bright futures for both him and Dalton.

In a poignant full-circle moment, Josh returns to Dalton’s room, where he discovers a painting of the time Josh carried him out of The Further. As they share a long-awaited hug, their bond has never been stronger, symbolizing the power of forgiveness and the resilience of their connection.