--- title: "Insidious: The Red Door: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door" critics_score: 50 critics_reviews: 16 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): what the critics said Critics' score 50 from 16 reviews: 4 positive, 6 mixed, 6 negative. 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. ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2023. 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 the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/insidious-the-red-door-review-horror-franchise-jump-2456940) ## Los Angeles Times — Noel Murray Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-07-07/review-insidious-the-red-door-patrick-wilson-ty-simpkins) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/insidious-the-red-door/) ## The AV Club — Leigh Monson Rating C-. 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-the-horror-sequel-insidious-the-red-door-1850613342) ## The Independent — Mark Kennedy Rating 2/4. 6 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/patrick-wilson-ap-dad-rose-byrne-ghost-b2370896.html) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2023. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-rose-byrne-1235662717/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/insidious-the-red-door-review-1234882074/) ## The New York Times — Jason Zinoman Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/movies/insidious-the-red-door-review.html) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/insidious-the-red-door-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2023. 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 the review](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 Rating 4/5. 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-3466234) ## Collider — Nate Richard Rating B-. 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://collider.com/insidious-the-red-door-review/) ## The Playlist — Simon Thompson Rating B-. 6 July 2023. 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 the review](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 Rating 6/10. 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1333170/insidious-the-red-door-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/insidious-the-red-door-review-a-disappointing-sequel-despite-patrick-wilson/) ## Deadline — Valerie Complex Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2023. 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 the review](https://deadline.com/2023/07/insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilson-1235431188/) ## Paste — Matt Donato Rating 5.5. 7 July 2023. 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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/insidious/insidious-the-red-door-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door.md