Review of Insidious: The Last Key (2018) by Devaughn B — 05 Jan 2018

Well, it's definitely January. This is one of my favorite horror franchises today, and Lin Shaye as Elise really shines here, as she always does. This film, similar to the third, is just ok. Not absolutely terrible, but I found myself rolling my eyes more often than admiring anything else. There are some genuinely frightening moments, some jump scares you'll see coming from a mile away, but my main issue with this film is the humor. Angus Sampson as Tucker and Leigh Whannell as Specs in this film, at times, made me actually physically cringe. I understand they have always been used to lighten the mood in these otherwise extremely dark films, but just don't overdo it. Don't throw them into forced romantic subplots when the main story has problems jumping from one issue to the next.

The way the film opens, with young Elise and her family, it took me back to what I loved about Annabelle: Creation. I would have been fine with a film focusing solely on this character's childhood, but that's not what this one is. And I'm not entirely sure the writer, Leigh Whannell, knew what this film was supposed to be. It's a bit jumbled - doesn't seem to have a set beginning, middle and end. There's also one moment from the trailers that I was looking forward to as possibly the most terrifying scene of the year. Not even in the film, really let me down. BUT one moment taking place inside an underground pipe, truly terrifying. The silence and cutaway shots this franchise is known for, everything about this scene had me gripping my chair, just waiting. Easily the single most satisfying moment in this film. There are plenty of other great films out right now that I can recommend over this one. If you're not a horror fan or a fan of the Insidious franchise, you'll want to skip this one, otherwise I think you'll have a fairly good time with the scares here.