The original cast from the horror franchise is back for the final chapter of the Lambert family’s terrifying saga, with Patrick Wilson (also making his directorial debut), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne and Andrew Astor. To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh and a college-aged Dalton must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the door.
For thoughts on Insidious: The Red Door, please check out my colleague Caillou Pettis’ review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Insidious: The Red Door comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that showcases this film exceptionally well. This is a carefully crafted movie with many unexpected shots that allow you to see an incredible amount of detail. There are numerous interior sequences within the dorm room featuring layered production design which provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. The film continues the desaturated look of the series with few hues making an impression outside of the titular door and a familiar demonic presence. Skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. The highlights are handled effortlessly, along with deep blacks that do not suffer from any compression artifacts and only a slight bit of banding in the most murky spaces. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. It is disappointing not to have this one in 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but the Blu-Ray does what it needs to do.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that brings some real power to the soundscape. Environmental effects play a notable role in the film as Dalton begins to experience weird occurrences, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully immersive world works quite well. The directionality is precise so that sounds always appear natural when coming from their respective points. The track is most active during the thrilling sequences when the terror comes to the forefront. Activity in the low end digs deep during these points as it adds some weight to the proceedings. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Sony has provided a fantastic release here.
Special Features
- The Family – Past, Present, Further: A nearly four-minute featurette is provided in which Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Ty Simpkins discuss returning to this series, the legacy of the film, where their characters are after all of these years and more.
- A Possessed Director: A five-minute piece that explores the shift of Patrick Wilson into the director’s chair, his relationship with the franchise, the collaboration with Blumhouse, the themes he wanted to explore and more.
- Previews
Final Thoughts
Insidious: The Red Door attempts to tell a more personal story as Patrick Wilson steps into the director’s chair and attempts to bring closure to the characters after all of these years. The intentions are noble, but the execution feels a bit underwhelming even for a franchise that has typically had more misses than hits. The father-son emotional thread does not feel fully fleshed out enough to land as well as intended, and the scares conjured are very familiar to anyone acquainted with the series. Although she borders on being a bit too broad, Sinclair Daniel is the biggest breath of fresh air in this outing, nearly always stealing whatever scene she is in. This outing is far from terrible, but it does feel a bit too safe to be memorable. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a brief selection of special features.
Insidious: The Red Door is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
