When the first Insidious was released in 2010, it was a fresh and bone-chilling riff on the haunted house movies of the 1970s and ‘80s. We should have seen the resulting franchise coming. Not only do haunted house-type films have immense staying power (we’re still getting Amityville knock-offs in 2026), but original director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell also created the ubiquitous Saw franchise, not to mention Wan’s success with The Conjuring universe. Whereas those examples have spawned a plethora of installments, Insidious is just as long-lasting while remaining slightly more humble. The series has existed for 16 years, with this month’s Insidious: Out of the Further marking the 6th entry in the franchise.
What makes Out of the Further feel more significant than if it were just another sequel is that the last movie, 2023’s Insidious: The Red Door, definitively closed the book on the Lambert family from the original two films. Which begs the question: is this another standalone entry featuring astral plane investigator Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), like Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) and Insidious: The Last Key (2018)? Well, yes and no. The 6th sequel introduces both a new set of characters unrelated to the Lamberts and concepts that feel like a fresh starting point for the series. Out of the Further is consistently spooky and visually inventive, giving it enough momentum to possibly refill the franchise’s gas tank.
Courtesy of Sony
‘Out of the Further’ Continues the Franchise’s Homage to ‘Poltergeist’ and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’
Insidious: Out of the Further takes place a mere few weeks after The Red Door, meaning that the series is still canonically set before the pandemic, which is… curious. It turns out that the Lamberts’ victory closed one door in the Further while opening another, freeing an evil spirit which torments Gemma (Amelia Eve). However, Gemma isn’t just any astral projectionist, for she has the extra ability to bring objects and people out of the Further, too. As such, the demons want to use her as a conduit to free themselves.
In between maintaining her romantic relationship with nice guy cop Nick (Brandon Perea) and protecting her daughter, Maya (Island Austin), Gemma tries to battle the demons from the Further with Elise’s help via her real-world medium, Clare (Maisie Richardson-Sellers). The first Insidious was heavily inspired by horror movies like Poltergeist (1982) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and those classics still strongly influence this latest sequel. Like Poltergeist, much of the film’s nightmarish imagery has a twisted childhood/domestic aesthetic, such as a pillow fort that becomes a liminal nightmare.
Likewise, the concept of bringing things from one realm into another echoes the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. Out of the Further’s focus on new characters with special powers also feels reminiscent of that series’ later sequels like Dream Warriors (1987) and The Dream Master (1988). It’s impressive that, six movies in, the Insidious franchise is still borrowing from the greats in a smart and terrifying way.
If You’ve Seen Any Insidious Movie Before, You Won’t Be Too Surprised Here
If there’s one major flaw with Insidious: Out of the Further, it’s that it doesn’t deviate all that much from the movies that have preceded it. That’s both a feature and a bug, of course, because it largely delivers what fans of the series have come to expect: jump scares, dream-logic set pieces, and an effective emotional core at the center. Whether it’s the Lamberts or Elise or Gemma, Insidious is all about family trauma and the love that can break the cycle.
Once again, a child is menaced by demons from the Further, and once again, it’s up to the inner strength of their parent to lead them out of the darkness. Complaining about this sequel’s resemblance to its predecessors in this manner feels a little like criticizing a slasher for having a masked killer running around slicing people up. Nonetheless, it’s hard to deny the predictability of Out of the Further, at least on an emotional and thematic level. If you’ve seen an Insidious film before, you have a good chance of guessing where things go in this latest installment, and whether you see that as reliability or laziness is your call.
To its credit, Out of the Further doesn’t rely on fan service. Even though a handful of Further demons from previous entries pop in (say hello again to the Lipstick-Face Demon, Doll Girl, and Keyface, for example), none of their appearances are pandering. In fact, their inclusion makes Out of the Further play more like a “haunted house of greatest hits” rather than a tired trip down memory lane.
‘Out of the Further’ Proves the Insidious Series Could Keep Going
Writer-director Jacob Chase really captures the “haunted house” aspect of the franchise, which makes Insidious: Out of the Further special in its own right. Chase doesn’t treat the material frivolously, yet he’s not precious about it, either. Thanks to having a theatrical background working on actual haunted attractions, Chase understands the value of things like a well-timed scare and creepy locations, meaning that most of the film’s fear factor comes from practical makeup and real sets.
Courtesy of Sony
Additionally, Chase knows that the sci-fi rules of the Further can be dense, and thankfully provides the audience with plenty of clarity about what’s happening. He does this through equal verbal and visual exposition, including one sequence that may be the most deft “here’s the plan” scene in recent horror films. Despite its sense of familiarity, Out of the Further is proof that this series isn’t entirely played out yet. It can still deliver nightmarish imagery that lingers, even with a PG-13 rating. It can also carry on without being bogged down by complicated continuity; Insidious doesn’t have to revolve around one set of characters, nor explain how a particular killer keeps coming back, and so on.
The Further is always there, an unseen world that can invade ours in a surprising number of ways. If Out of the Further indicates how the series can innovate while staying true to itself and not becoming overwhelmed or oversaturated, then I don’t see why it can’t carry on.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
‘Insidious: Out of the Further’ hits theaters on August 21!
Release Date: August 21, 2026.
Directed by Jacob Chase.
Screenplay by Jacob Chase.
Story by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick & Jacob Chase.
Produced by Jason Blum, Oren Peli, James Wan, & Leigh Whannell.
Executive Producers: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Steven Schneider, & Ryan Turek.
Main Cast: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Island Austin, & Laura Gordon.
Cinematographer: Dave Garbett.
Composer: Joseph Bishara.
Editor: Gregory Plotkin.
Production Companies: Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, Blumhouse Productions, & Atomic Monster.
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Runtime: 106 minutes.
Rated R.
