Film Review: Insidious: Out of the Further

Insidious: Out of the Further
Director: Jacob Chase
Sony Pictures
Released: 08.21.26

In a summer dominated by the horror genre, with films like Obsession and Backrooms keeping butts in seats, Insidious: Out of the Further brings back familiar film IP to the theaters in the sixth installment of the franchise, first seen on screen in 2010. Director Jacob Chase creates his first feature since Come Play (2020), as well as his first of the franchise.

When I was first exposed to the demons and astral planes of the Insidious stories, I was just getting into horror, and my reaction to the first film was enough to make every movie in the series a must-watch from then on. In the 16 years of Insidious, several directors have been attached to different chapters, including James Wan, Patrick Wilson, Leigh Whannell and Adam Robitel.

When you have different directors with different leads, it can create such contrasting and distinct films, even throughout an ongoing universe. What I like about the horror genre is that there are infinite ways to scare, and suspense can be displayed in so many different ways that studios keep coming back for the seventh Scream film, or perhaps another Insidious, as rumored by Chase. But this year has also proven that new horror IPs are more popular than ever, and moviegoers want to move toward new monsters or murderers. This is also showing in the box office and may push studios to promote more forward-thinking themes. 

The “let him cook” parts of Out of the Further are where it shines (not that the film has many bright lights), and Chase really shows off his technical skill when it comes to pure fear, particularly in the scenes where we don’t yet know entirely what is happening to Gemma (played by Amelia Eve). The long, burning jump scares play out extremely well in the theaters, and the score sounding in and out of these scenes has you leaning out of your seat and into The Further. 

Amelia Eve (Haunting of Bly Manor, The Blind) is a promising lead, and her performance fits into place as being the main part in any future Insidious projects. Eve does a great job of not only being a distressed character but also having a strong presence – you truly believe her motivation. Her character reminds me a lot of Annie (played by Toni Collette) in the 2018 film Hereditary. Two women with extreme trauma and a complicated relationship with their mothers are trying to save the souls of their children. Seeing the upward trend of these themes is refreshing, especially in a genre that historically is ruled by disposable scream queens.

Returning in this film is Lin Shaye as Elise, a long-running cornerstone of the franchise. Shaye delivers in her performance, but it feels like the Insidious universe is running out of story. The best parts of the film are the ones where we aren’t concerned with plot, and when we are, the writing is apparent in its regurgitation of previous films, as well as other horror/thriller tropes that we have seen before. The addition of the Acolytes is a good tool, but the further (no pun intended) we go with them, the more we see that the ending will lack originality. The film peaks with the tension inside the fort, which is one of the best horror set pieces of the year, or the queasiness of the dentist’s office (solid body horror). But when we spend more time with Nick (Brandon Perea) or Clare (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), we get an over-explanation of what is happening to Gemma or with Elise.

With box office success, Insidious: Out of the Further proves that Blumhouse and Sony have a winning formula, and sequels can still put people in the theaters. Chase is set to direct a 2027 horror film titled Sleepover. As for Insidious, don’t be surprised if we see the return of Elise and Gemma. —Sam Goodman

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