Film Review – Insidious: Out of the Further (2026)

      **Insidious: Out of the Further, 2026.**

      **Written and Directed by Jacob Chase.**

      **Starring Amelia Eve, Island Austin, Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Joseph Lopez, Laura Gordon, Charli Penton, Taylor Bogrand, Ben Keller, and Katerina Daskalakis.**

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      Gemma, a young mother raising her daughter in her childhood home, realizes she can venture into The Further, where she has the power to bring entities from that realm back to the living world. While the Insidious franchise has largely moved past the Lambert family, Jacob Chase's Insidious: Out of the Further appears as the first installment to embrace a fresh direction, featuring new characters, demons, and even elements of dentistry-themed body horror, all while playing around with the supernatural's rules. This entry is arguably the most entertaining of the series, yet that engagement also amplifies its frightening aspects (for full transparency, I've never found the franchise's iconic Darth Maul-like demon particularly scary).

      The narrative focuses on Gemma (Amelia Eve), a dentist and mother to young Maya (Island Austin), an affectionate dog lover who also shows interest in some peculiar, elderly individuals in the neighborhood who wander about during the day (one of whom carries an oxygen tank that serves a more sinister purpose). As a prologue filled with jump scares reveals, Gemma's relationship with her mother (Laura Gordon) deteriorated significantly towards the end of her life, contrasting sharply with the loving bond she shares with her daughter; as Gemma articulates, her mother – paranoid, temperamental, and hostile – became malevolent.

      Gemma continues to live in her childhood house, despite having packed away every memory of her mother into cardboard boxes, much like her buried recollections. Nonetheless, she cannot easily give up the house (after all, it’s an inheritance). Before long, her nightmares start pulling her into The Further (a realm between the living and the deceased), leading to ingeniously staged and executed terror, utilizing everything from dental procedures to claustrophobia. A particular scene in Gemma’s dental office, where she cleans the teeth of one of the aforementioned elderly individuals, offers an unexpected, disgusting gag before shifting into something more conventionally chilling and flipping Gemma's situation on its head.

      Initially doubtful about Gemma's experiences, her police officer boyfriend, Nick (Brandon Perea), begins to believe her, especially when he witnesses her pulling objects from The Further into their reality. During one haunting scene, she encounters the now-deceased Elise (a returning Lin Shaye, who is a welcomed presence, given the impact of her character in the series), who provides her with instructions on how to reach her in the physical world despite being dead.

      Elise, now collaborating with an orphaned woman named Claire (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) to bridge the gap between the living and the dead, guides those in danger on how to safeguard themselves while fending off malicious spirits from The Further. At times, she takes on a somewhat absurd superhero role, which is meant positively. While I recognize there is a dedicated film in the series focused on Elise, one could argue that this offering could entertain for its 90 minutes. However, it does fall short in developing their relationship and adventures adequately, yet it may set the stage for a potential seventh film. Overall, characterization here feels minimal, but the pacing stays brisk, transitioning smoothly from one frightening scene to the next.

      As highlighted earlier, Insidious: Out of the Further is a surprisingly enjoyable experience on both narrative and thematic levels, demonstrating an awareness of the series growing stale and a desire to revitalize its rules with imaginative uses of new powers and “unnatural travelers.” This installment also introduces a truly unsettling antagonist in the Further’s cult leader, Cyrus (Sam Spruell, suitably grotesque with makeup and a chilling smile), who is determined to bring entities from that realm into reality.

      In conclusion, while the anticipated jump scares (some of which are surprisingly inventive, like one using the reflection from a small dental mirror) and familiar concepts from the series remain, the film is far from tedious, especially for a sixth entry. Insidious: Out of the Further ventures into outright absurdity, merging reality with The Further, creating a palpable sense of danger and urgency while delivering emotional moments within its family dynamic.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★**

      **Robert Kojder**