Insidious: The Last Key - movie review

Insidious: The Last Key

Plot: Parapsychologist Dr. Elise Rainier faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet - in her own family home.
Cast: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson
Director: Adam Robitel
Certificate: 15 (strong horror, sustained threat)
Runtime: 1hr 43 mins
Release Date: Friday 12th January 2018

Insidious; a franchise that I can imagine no one thought would spawn four movies in total. The first, directed by the modern day horror master, James Wan, was quite the surprise mostly because it wasn't shit. The second was fine but it did signify a large dip in quality from the first. However, those two films are entirely watchable and probably a good time in a group if you're looking for some decent scares but never did I crave any more entries into the Insidious films. That being said, I am not the be-all and end-all for Hollywood and because the films are cheap to make and Hollywood loves a good profit, thus, sequels came to fruition. Chapter 3 was an absolute bore. It had fleeting moments of potential but was ultimately doomed by a formulaic script and the fact that it wasn't scary. So, how does the fourth Insidious fare? It's bad. Like, 'Stop The Franchise' bad.

You forget to trim your nails for one day and all of a sudden, she thinks you're a demon.

Thinking positively, Lin Shaye is one of the consistently redeeming qualities of the Insidious franchise. She starred in the first two films but has now taken on the lead role for the sequels. Shaye is certainly capable to hold her own in these films and she's great at expressing the emotional trauma. It is just such a shame to see her starring in these films that are far beneath her. Lin Shaye doesn't deserve this. A actress of her talent should not resort to starring in films where she beats a demon up with a stick (that happens in this film, by the way). I will say; I do appreciate the fact that the latter films in the series have switched the focus onto Elise (Shaye) rather than follow the basic 'haunting here, haunting there' approach. Giving credit where it's due, the opening of The Last Key showed promise. Detailing the origin of Elise discovering her powers, there were a few effective scares in places but more importantly, posed an interesting insight into how Elise became the formidable parapsychologist we know today. Sadly, that moment is short lived and like a sweet dream, that interest eludes my grasp for the remaining runtime. Without a doubt, The Last Key is the dullest, most uninspired and laziest entry into the franchise and Chapter 3 nearly sent me to sleep. To briefly summarise the plot of the fourth entry of the Insidious franchise; Elise relives her childhood traumas, she is called upon an assignment to visit her old home, she goes into the Further, discovers her distant family and then some more spooky stuff happens in the Further. The whole film becomes one bland mess. Structurally speaking, the film is all over the place. It has a clear first act and then it all goes to shit. The second act feels like it was the finale and an underwhelming one at that (due to the bizarre addition of a serial kidnapper/killer) but then when the actual third act happens, the sensation is like I'm watching a fifth Insidious movie. The Last Key is that guy you take on an expedition that brags that he knows how to read a map and knows where you're going but ends up leading you in the complete opposite direction. Admit it, we all know one person like that. And if you're shaking your head thinking you don't, that means it's probably you.

She can't be that good of a supernatural fighter if she can't notice the demon right behind her??

FACT: The poster is similar to 1985 horror movie titled HOUSE.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't horror films meant to be scary because I think someone ought to let The Last Key know. When your central demon, who is meant to terrify your audience like it does your main characters, has key for hands, the only reaction it's going to produce is laughter. Unless you have a phobia of keys (It's real. I looked it up), the demon will fail to raise your heartbeat by even the tiniest amount. And just to add salt into the already fresh and open wound, our good ol' pal, JUMPSCARES are back and not only are they clearly signposted so you can literally count the seconds down until a face and loud noise jolt onto screen, but my personal favourite JUMPSCARES make an appearance; the fake ones. I assure you, there is nothing more joyful than to see a film build up the suspense and make you think something scary is about to happen...only for the TV to suddenly turn on or an ally to turn the corner and the suspense is lost completely. Who doesn't love that style of horror? It's so progressive and works a charm in The Last Key......................There is a special place in hell for anyone who seriously enjoys JUMPSCARES and find them an influential part of horror. I thought we were out of this rut. As for The Last Key, a horror it is not. In fact, I'd argue that this is more of a supernatural drama focusing on Elise dealing with the demons from her past (both literally and figuratively). Speaking honestly, I didn't hate Elise wanting to reconnect with her brother and his daughters but the film decides that it doesn't want to present an emotionally complex dilemma, that goes against the norm for a horror movie and instead, remembers that it's got money to make and plays out like another generic haunting movie. This may be a strong claim to make but films like The Last Key that abide by the safest horror guidelines imaginable, are the reason that smaller horror films that go against the grain, and their creators, are stifled creatively. That's what The Last Key is; a carbon copy of every Insidious film made so far with all of the scares sucked out. The unfunny/infantile humour? Present. The Further, a concept that I've never really cared for because it sucks all the mystery and intrigue from the supernatural? Present. A 74 year old women inexplicably kicking a powerful demon's arse (this time with a stick) despite the fact that it was throwing fully grown human beings across the room like they were paperclips? Unfortunately, present.

It had been a rough night.

I'm not saying The Last Key is terrible because by the time you've stripped away the pointless and ineffective scares and the plot that seems like it was written two minutes before the deadline, there is perhaps a fairly decent look at to how supernatural detective work can ruin a family. However, seeing as that sounds like a terrible idea to last for two hours, The Last Key morphs into a lazy guide on how to make one last cash grab at a franchise that no one was screaming for anyway. You see people dress as characters from A Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Saw, but Insidious? I highly doubt it. The Last Key? Let's hope it's The Last One.

My Verdict: 3/10

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