The Insidious horror franchise continues unabated, the films taking a total box office – at time of writing – of €400 million on an overall budget of €25 million. And, if across the four films to date reviews have been mixed, like many franchises in the genre, this has not put off its makers from coming back with more.
The series was created by Leigh Whannell, an Australian screenwriter, producer, director and actor; who together with filmmaker James Wan, is also the creators of the Saw franchise.
The original Insidious, released in 2010, was a solid family-based chiller. It focused on a couple whose house and family are haunted by demons from a hellish realm known as The Further when their son falls into a coma. 2013’s Insidious: Chapter 2 pretty much trod the same ground as the first – same family, different child in peril.
And, while the first two instalments saw committed and emotional performances by stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, it was a supporting player, Lin Shaye as parapsychologist Elise Rainier – the career ghost hunter and medium determined to help the family at all costs – who caught the attention of fans and critics alike.
In this fourth instalment of the supernatural thriller, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet
The 74-year-old character actress has a long and distinguished career in both film and television, and on the American stage. She is regarded as somewhat of a Scream Queen, given her appearances in a number of horror movies over and above the Insidious one – including A Nightmare on Elm Street. The hard-working actress also has a number of comedic and dramatic roles to her name.
So strong were Shaye and her character’s impact in the first two Insidious films that Shaye returned for Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015). This was, in fact, a prequel in which Elise comes to the aid of a young girl who calls out to the dead. And finally, Insidious: The Last Key elevates the character of Rainier to that of protagonist.
In this fourth instalment of the supernatural thriller, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet – one which takes her back to her childhood. Following the events in the previous film, Rainier is sent to investigate the recent supernatural occurrences in a house in New Mexico, the house in which she grew up. The events take her even further into The Further.
Joining Shaye in the film are Ava Kolker and Hana Hayes who play younger incarnations of Elise; Angus Sampson and Whannell himself as Elise’s assistants Tucker and Specs; Josh Stewart as Elise’s father Gerald Rainier; Caitlin Gerard and Spencer Locke as Elise’s nieces Imogen and Melissa Rainier; Kirk Acevedo as Ted Garza, the man who calls for Elise’s help; Javier Botet as ‘Key Face’; Bruce Davison as Christian Rainier, Elise’s estranged younger brother and Tessa Ferrer as Aubrey Rainier, Elise’s mother and Gerald’s wife.
The film is written by Whannell and is produced by Insidious regulars Jason Blum, Oren Peli and co-creator James Wan. It is directed by series newcomer Adam Robitel.