The Insidious franchise has now been around for the better part of two decades, with the type of staying power that befits any great horror series. A few years have passed since we had Insidious: The Red Door, which served as a thematic ending for some of our key characters, but the franchise as a whole is back with another terrifying story with Insidious: Out of the Further.
Although the Insidious films bring plenty of great scares with each new entry, due to the ever-growing tapestry of characters and time jumps, it can be tricky to keep track of it all, and if it’s been a while since you last stepped into the world of ghosts, possessions and the Further, then you might need a refresh before heading to your local Cineworld.
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Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with a succinct recap of everything that’s happened in the run-up to Insidious: Out of the Further.
Insidious
The very first chapter in the series introduced us to our core characters: the Lambert family comprised of parents Josh and Renai alongside their son Dalton, as well as the powerful psychic Elise Rainier. This entry-point centres around the fight to save Dalton who falls into a coma and is at risk of becoming possessed by a demon. Here we’re also introduced to the concept of the Further, a place where ghosts and demons reside after death, hoping to get back to the living world. Although the group are successful in saving Dalton, Josh isn’t so lucky as he becomes possessed, killing Elise after she discovers what has happened to him.
Insidious: Chapter 2
This second instalment picks up directly after the events of the first film, diving into the aftermath of Elise’s death as Renai and Dalton have to contend with a possessed Josh who continues to grow more unstable with each passing day. The timeline jumps around a fair bit in this film, revealing that Josh, like Dalton, has the ability to astral project and connect with the Further. In the end, the Lamberts are successful yet again, saving Josh and making the decision to hypnotise Dalton and his father so that they forget their connection to the Further to prevent any similar events taking place in the future.
Insidious: Chapter 3
This is the first film to deviate from the timeline of the previous two films, instead shifting the focus to Elise prior to her encounter with the Lamberts in the first Insidious flick. This film sees Elise recruited to help Quinn Brenner, a teenage girl who is at risk of having her soul taken away by a demon from the Further, after she tried to contact her deceased mother. Although initially reluctant to help, Elise’s efforts in this film cement her confidence as a true psychic who can protect people from the Further.
Insidious: The Last Key
Initially going all the way back to the 1950s, Insidious: The Last Key chooses Elise once more as its main protagonist, with the film diving ever deeper into her family history, revealing that her mother was killed by the KeyFace demon which also possessed her father, driving him to do terrible things whilst he was alive. The final act sees Elise travel to the Further to stop KeyFace once and for all. She’s almost vanquished but the spirit of her mother steps in to save her. Right at the end of the film, Elise receives a call about Dalton Lambert in the present day, which then leads directly into the events of the first film.
Insidious: The Red Door
After a fair bit of time apart, Insidious: The Red Door brings us back to the Lambert family, nine years after the events of Insidious 2. Josh and Renai are now divorced and Dalton is attending college, but when an art class encourages Dalton to paint his subconscious, his memories of the Further become unlocked, bridging a gap with the demonic realm once more. Meanwhile, Josh comes to terms with his own connection to the Further, discovering that his father could also astral project. The film ends on a happy note for a change with Josh and Dalton finally managing to seal their connection to the Further for good, giving them a chance to live a happy life.
Following the events of The Red Door, Out of the Further will follow a new protagonist who also has the ability to astral project into the demonic realm. To see how the franchise continues, make sure to book your tickets for Insidious: Out of the Further at Cineworld.
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