--- title: "Insidious: The Red Door" year: 2023 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door" fi1m_id: "insidious-the-red-door" imdb_id: "tt13405778" tmdb_id: 614479 wikidata_id: "Q113467000" fi1m_score: 54 critics_score: 50 critics_reviews: 16 published: "2026-09-10" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:05.812118+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Insidious: The Red Door (2023) Directed by Patrick Wilson · 1h 47m · MPA PG-13 · Horror, Thriller ## Identity Insidious: The Red Door - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** insidious-the-red-door - **IMDb ID:** tt13405778 - **TMDB ID:** 614479 - **Wikidata ID:** Q113467000 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13405778/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/614479, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113467000 **Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 50 from 16 reviews *In a sentence:* The scariest thing in it is an MRI scan, which says something about the demons > Patrick Wilson’s first film as director takes the Lambert family seriously and takes its scares from the shelf. The father and son business is real and the MRI sequence is properly frightening; the rest is red doors, red light and a violin. ## Synopsis Years after the events of *Insidious: Chapter 2*, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his eldest son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) have had their memories of the Further wiped, and neither is the better for it. Josh, now separated from Renai (Rose Byrne), forgets appointments and loses his temper. Dalton leaves for college to study art, where his roommate Chris Winslow (Sinclair Daniel) has been assigned to his room by mistake and his tutor, Professor Armagan (Hiam Abbass), asks the class to paint what they remember. Dalton paints a red door. Back home, Josh goes for a brain scan. Wilson also directs, from a screenplay by Scott Teems and a story by Teems and Leigh Whannell, the writer of the original film. ## Review Patrick Wilson has played Josh Lambert since the first *Insidious* in 2010, and for his first film as director he has gone back to the family that made his name in horror. Scott Teems’s script, from a story by Teems and Leigh Whannell, picks up years after *Insidious: Chapter 2*, with Josh and his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) having had every memory of that house and the place beyond it hypnotised out of them. The idea is that forgetting has cost them. Josh is separated from Renai (Rose Byrne), fogged and short-tempered; Dalton is a sullen art student who cannot say why he paints what he paints. It is a sound idea for a fifth film, and the film means it. What it does not have is a new way to frighten anybody. The family half is the better half. Wilson plays Josh as a man who keeps losing the thread of his own sentences, apologetic and irritable at once, and he lets Simpkins hold long stretches of screen without saying much. Their scenes in a car and in a dormitory corridor have the awkwardness of a father and son who have run out of things to say and know it. Byrne has three scenes and does more with the second of them than the script asks. Andrew Astor and Juliana Davies return as the other Lambert children and are given a funeral and little else. There is one sequence that works on us entirely, and it is the one most people will tell you about. Josh goes for an MRI to find out what is wrong with his head, and Autumn Eakin shoots it from inside the tube, the ceiling a few inches from his nose, the light flat and white and no room to turn. Joseph Bishara’s score, which spends most of the film shrieking, goes almost silent. We held our breath for the whole of it, and when the scare came we flinched, which is rarer than a jump and harder to earn. Wilson knows how long to hold a shot before something moves in the corner of it. The trouble is that he has learned only that. Every other scare in the film is a variation on the same move: a dim room, a figure in the background that was not there a moment ago, a silence broken by Bishara’s strings. Adam Reamer’s production design gives the Further the look it has always had, the family house and now a college dormitory redressed in soot and lit by a single bulb, with the red door at the end of a corridor. It is well built and we have seen it. Bishara, who also plays the Lipstick Demon, does a good deal of standing in doorways with his face lit red, and by the fourth time we had stopped being alarmed and started counting. Michel Aller and Derek Ambrosi cut the film as two strands, father in one town and son in another, and the strands never quite pull on each other. A scene of Dalton in class with Professor Armagan (Hiam Abbass, watchful and underused) gives way to Josh alone at home, then back, and each cut lets the air out of what came before. Sinclair Daniel, as Dalton’s accidental roommate Chris Winslow, is the one performer who seems to know she is in a slightly silly film; she is funny and quick and the film brightens whenever she is on. Then it sends her away so the lights can go off again. Against the series’ own standard the film sits in the middle. James Wan’s first *Insidious* was cheap, nasty and inventive, and it built its scares out of a house we came to know room by room. This one cares more about its family than any of the sequels and frightens less than all but the worst of them. Wilson directs actors well, which is not a surprise, and directs dread by the book, which is a disappointment. Lin Shaye’s Elise is billed and appears, and we will say nothing about how. Most critics have landed where we have, split between those grateful for a horror film that cares about its family and those tired of the family’s furniture. We are somewhere between the two. If the Lamberts mean something to you, this is a considerate ending for them, and the MRI alone is worth a quiet evening. If they do not, it is 107 minutes of a red door opening and closing, and you already know what is behind it. *Fi1m score 54, published 10 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews split almost evenly, and the spread is wide: from a warm four stars to outright dismissal. Nearly everyone credits Patrick Wilson with a competent directorial debut, and most find something to like in the father-son relationship at the film’s centre, which several critics say gives the series a more human footing than it has had before. The praise stops there for half of them. The most common complaint is that the scares are recycled, leaning on the franchise’s familiar jump-scare rhythm without adding to it, and a number of critics find the storytelling choppy and the final act flat. NME is the clearest dissenter at the top, finding the college setting and dread-filled sequences give the formula fresh energy. At the other end, Deadline calls it a misstep with sloppy editing and little horror to speak of. The consensus is a debut that handles its family well and its ghosts poorly. ## Straight answers **Is Insidious: The Red Door worth watching?** *Insidious: The Red Door* is worth watching only if the Lambert family already means something to you, and we scored it 54. Patrick Wilson directs the father and son scenes well and the MRI sequence is properly frightening, but nearly every other scare is a figure in a dim room and a shriek of strings, and by the fourth red-lit doorway we were counting rather than flinching. **How long is Insidious: The Red Door, and what is it rated?** *Insidious: The Red Door* runs 1h 47m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a horror and thriller film. **Where can I watch Insidious: The Red Door in the US?** *Insidious: The Red Door* is streaming on HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Insidious: The Red Door, and is it suitable for children?** *Insidious: The Red Door* carries a UK 15 certificate and is built on sustained dread rather than gore: dark rooms, figures appearing where none stood a moment before, and one claustrophobic scan sequence that made us hold our breath. It is not suitable for children, and the squeamish should note the fear comes from waiting rather than from anything shown, so it suits teenagers and adults who can sit through slow build-ups. **How does Insidious: The Red Door compare to The Babadook?** *Insidious: The Red Door* and [*The Babadook*](https://film.one/film/the-babadook) are both horror films about a parent and a child, but Jennifer Kent's film is the better and the more frightening of the two, because Essie Davis makes an exhausted mother's resentment so credible that the haunting hardly needs a creature. Wilson's film cares about its family too, then reaches for scares off the shelf. Choose *The Babadook* unless you want a considerate ending for the Lamberts specifically. **What should I watch after Insidious: The Red Door?** After *Insidious: The Red Door*, try [*Insidious*](https://film.one/film/insidious) (2010, Fi1m 70): The one to revisit: the same house, fewer rooms, and every one of them frightening. Then [*The Babadook*](https://film.one/film/the-babadook) (2014, Fi1m 86): A mother, a son and a picture book, with grief doing the haunting; and [*Poltergeist*](https://film.one/film/poltergeist) (1982, Fi1m 84): The suburban family haunting this series has been quoting from the start. ### Reviews we read (17) - **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (75/100, inferred): The review praises the film as a return to form that effectively grounds its scares in family trauma and the father-son relationship. It highlights the effective jump scares and grotesque visuals despite some visual flatness. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/insidious-the-red-door-review-horror-franchise-jump-2456940) - **Los Angeles Times**, Noel Murray (60/100, inferred): The fifth installment relies too much on the same old tricks but is often genuinely terrifying, with several sequences that are intensely scary. It has a strong idea about confronting past traumas rather than blocking them out, even if it falls short of the original. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-07-07/review-insidious-the-red-door-patrick-wilson-ty-simpkins) - **Empire**, Helen O'Hara (55/100, inferred): The critic commends the strong character work and family dynamics under Patrick Wilson's direction but notes the scares feel unoriginal and the storytelling choppy. Overall it is seen as a competent but unremarkable directorial debut that will mainly appeal to franchise fans. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/insidious-the-red-door/) - **The AV Club**, Leigh Monson (C-): The review sees the film as a wrong-headed attempt that retreads franchise iconography without contributing anything new, treating generational trauma in a tired way. It notes competence in performances and some humor but finds the scares lacking and execution weak. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-the-horror-sequel-insidious-the-red-door-1850613342) - **The Independent**, Mark Kennedy (2/4): The critic finds the film fails to deliver a strong finale for the franchise, with an incoherent story reliant on jump scares and familiar elements. While noting Patrick Wilson's solid directorial debut, the review suggests most viewers would be better off letting the series rest. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/patrick-wilson-ap-dad-rose-byrne-ghost-b2370896.html) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (45/100, inferred): The sequel brings back the original characters and gives the film a hint of a human center through the father-son dynamic, but the scares feel standard and arbitrary. Wilson does not do a bad job for a first-time director, yet the tropes have been worked to death. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-rose-byrne-1235662717/) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (35/100, inferred): The review calls the directorial debut a generic jump-scare machine that fights against the director's strengths as a creaky end to the stalled franchise. It criticizes the lack of fresh ideas or effective scares. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/insidious-the-red-door-review-1234882074/) - **The New York Times**, Jason Zinoman (35/100, inferred): The film is a grim, workmanlike effort that collapses into woo-woo nonsense, though Wilson demonstrates a grasp of the franchise's jump-scare technique. The prickly father-son relationship is placed at the center, but the movie fails to sustain its early promise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/movies/insidious-the-red-door-review.html) - **Radio Times**, James Mottram (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a limp, lackluster horror that fails to deliver on its promising setup, with a forgettable final act. Some performances and individual scenes are competent, but the whole is anti-climactic. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/insidious-the-red-door-review/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck (30/100, inferred): The review finds the film a desultory and repetitive entry that piles on superficial jump scares without impact. It notes some value in comic relief from a supporting character and a strong performance from one actor. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-directs-a-desultory-entry-in-the-hit-franchise-1235532093/) - **NME**, Alex Flood (4/5): The critic finds the film a fun, effective horror entry that benefits from a college setting and family focus, praising its dread-filled sequences and Wilson's assured directorial debut. The campus atmosphere and nostalgic take on the characters' powers add fresh energy to the franchise formula. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-3466234) - **Collider**, Nate Richard (B-): The film moves the story of the first two entries forward with the original cast and feels more human than prior installments, with effective character moments outweighing the scares for longtime fans. [Read](https://collider.com/insidious-the-red-door-review/) - **The Playlist**, Simon Thompson (B-): The critic praises the film's confident direction by Patrick Wilson in his debut, its focus on character development and family dynamics, and effective scares without relying on cheap tricks. They note it serves as a satisfying conclusion to the Lambert family story while exploring personal elements. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-directs-and-leads-a-smart-and-layered-mix-of-scares-and-character-development-20230706/) - **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (6/10): The review highlights Wilson's solid directorial debut with effective building of tension and dread, particularly in scenes like the MRI machine, and notes the film's focus on family dynamics elevates it above typical sequels, though the script can feel repetitive. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1333170/insidious-the-red-door-review/) - **The Wrap** (40/100, inferred): The sequel wearily fizzles despite some effective set-pieces and signature jump scares, becoming wearisome rapidly. It leaves a mild echo of the better earlier films despite Wilson's capable direction in his debut and a worthy message about embracing one's past. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/insidious-the-red-door-review-a-disappointing-sequel-despite-patrick-wilson/) - **Deadline**, Valerie Complex (30/100, inferred): The film is an unfortunate misstep that offers little in the way of horror or entertainment. It drifts frustratingly slow between father and son storylines with sloppy editing and a lack of cohesiveness. [Read](https://deadline.com/2023/07/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-1235431188/) - **Paste**, Matt Donato (5.5): Wilson's directorial debut wavers between mediocre family drama and spooky elements without balance or harmony, resulting in a mediocre sequel that loses pace with its predecessors. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/insidious/insidious-the-red-door-review) ## Details - **Director:** Patrick Wilson - **Director:** Patrick Wilson - **Screenplay:** Scott Teems - **Story:** Leigh Whannell, Scott Teems - **Cinematography:** Autumn Eakin - **Editor:** Michel Aller, Derek Ambrosi - **Music:** Joseph Bishara - **Production design:** Adam Reamer - **Costume design:** Dajia Milan - **Producer:** Jason Blum, James Wan, Leigh Whannell - **Cast:** Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert; Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert; Sinclair Daniel as Chris Winslow; Hiam Abbass as Professor Armagan; Andrew Astor as Foster Lambert; David Call as Smash Face / Ben Burton; Steve Coulter as Carl; Peter Dager as Nick the Dick - **Runtime:** 1h 47m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 7 July 2023 - **Genres:** Horror, Thriller - **Budget:** $16 million - **Box office:** $189 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gexw4P68kbg ## Where to watch in the US - HBO Max: streaming - Hulu: streaming, uhd - Disney+: add-on, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, ID, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Insidious* (2010), Fi1m 70: The one to revisit: the same house, fewer rooms, and every one of them frightening — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/insidious.md) - *The Babadook* (2014), Fi1m 86: A mother, a son and a picture book, with grief doing the haunting — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-babadook.md) - *Poltergeist* (1982), Fi1m 84: The suburban family haunting this series has been quoting from the start — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/poltergeist.md) - *Dark Water* (2002): A parent, a child and a stain on the ceiling; Nakata makes damp terrifying - *Lake Mungo* (2008): An Australian mock-documentary about a family after a loss; quiet, patient and unnerving --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door