In 2010, after they ignited the horror world with SAW, director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannel began the second phase of their horror career. INSIDIOUS was a low-budget and relatively contained horror thriller about a family haunted by demons. The success led directly to a sequel (which was also kind of a prequel), and to a pair of actual prequels, somewhat confusingly named INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 and INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY. The final movie (THE LAST KEY), which is actually the second in terms of story chronology, was released in 2018.
The INSIDIOUS storyline is convoluted, yes, but ultimately you really need to know this: Josh Lambert and his son Dalton are both able to engage in astral projection. They both unwittingly encountered demons while doing so — and those demons stuck around for a long time afterwards. Josh and Dalton have repressed their memories of those experiences, which leaves them feeling empty and uncertain about themselves.
Now, INSIDIOUS 5 is finally coming to theatres. The movie is called INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR and it directly continues the story begun in the first two movies. And, just to make things interesting, star Patrick Wilson directs the movie, marking his directorial debut. Here’s everything we know about INSIDIOUS: FEAR OF THE DARK.
When Does Insidious 5 Come Out?
Sony Pictures will release INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR exclusively in movie theatres on July 7.
Watch the First Trailer for Insidious: The Red Door
This first INSIDIOUS 5 trailer recaps most of what you need to know about the early movies while also showing that they've found a way to bring back Lin Shaye's great character via old VHS tapes.
The best thing about this trailer is that it promises a scary movie that is full of monsters. That's all we really want!
What's That Weird Song in the New Insidious Trailer?
The song in the trailer for INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR is "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" by Tiny Tim. It's a novelty song released in 1968, though Tiny Tim's version is a deliberately strange take on a tune originally written in 1929. Tiny Tim's version was heard in the original INSIDIOUS, as well as in many other forms of media since it became a minor chart hit in the late '60s.
What Is Insidious: The Red Door About?
Sony's official synopsis of the movie is: "Set ten years after the end of [the] previous first two films, Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son Dalton off at an idyllic, ivy-covered university. However, Dalton’s college dream becomes a nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both."
The trailer gives us a lot more. While Josh and Dalton were both haunted by demons, now they are also haunted by the void left by their repressed memories. Neither recalls their old experiences with The Further, that supernatural realm where demons reside. Dalton has become an artist, and his childhood experiences are coming out through his work. (Shades of the new CANDYMAN there, which isn't a bad thing at all.)
Memories aren't the only things that might resurface. The trailer shows us that The Lipstick Face Demon from the first movie will return, presumably drawn by Dalton's revived memories of The Further.
The Cast of Insidious: The Red Door
As a direct sequel to INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, this movie features the return of the core cast from the first two movies. Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, and Rose Byrne all reprise their roles as members of the Lambert family.
We know, too, that Foster Lambert, played by Andrew Astor, is in the movie. And while Lin Shaye's character, Elsie Rainier, was killed in the original movie, the flashback aspects of all three movies that followed were a way to keep Elsie in the picture for the entire series. Since this movie follows the events of the first film, her character isn't coming back to life, but will still be seen via at least one archival recording. It's kind of like how Jamie Kennedy's character Randy Meeks died in SCREAM 2 but still appeared in SCREAM 3 via a tape recording.
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All images courtesy of Sony Pictures.