Although Insidious has never been considered a massive smash hit, the truth is that all its films make between 100 and 200 million, enough to keep churning out sequels. Since its release in 2011 with James Wan at the helm, the saga has six films, the last of which will be released tomorrow and has a peculiar record: not only is it the most expensive sequel in the franchise at $18 million, but it’s also, apparently, the best.
Be afraid, boys, be very afraid
You already know what Rotten Tomatoes is, the place where professional reviews decide whether a film is “rotten” (that is, with a score lower than 6) or “fresh”. And the truth is that Insidious has a pretty depressing past: the first film does get a passing grade with 66%, but its sequels are pretty unforgivable. Insidious 2 has 38%, Insidious 3 improves a bit (56%), The Last Key is the worst of them all with 35% and The Red Door has to settle for 39%. So then, what’s up with the new one?
Well, Insidious: Out of the Further has managed a surprising 68% with 44 reviews in, a figure that can still change but shows how well the change of direction has worked in its favor. That said, the reviews, even when rating it positively, aren’t very enthusiastic, with comments like “More of the same, more or less” or “Good enough to pass the time”. That’s faint praise, to say the least.
Of course, luckily there are also some who offer hope, saying that “it turns into an off-the-rails madness, mixing reality and the Further with imaginative fun, danger and urgency” or “It’s the scariest sequel”. Honestly? With another 180 million it’ll already secure a seventh installment all by itself, and so on ad infinitum.
