Insidious: The Last Key Review

Introduction (Warning Contains Spoilers)

With a new Insidious movie arriving this Friday, we decided to revisit the franchise. We are going to be viewing the movies from chronological order, rather than release order.

Before entering that new chapter, we are working through the franchise in chronological order. That means we are not following the films’ original release dates.

This approach makes sense because the Insidious timeline jumps around considerably. Two films are prequels to the original story.

Our chronological journey began with Insidious: Chapter 3. We now move forward to Insidious: The Last Key.

Although it was released as the fourth film, it is the second story chronologically. It takes place after Chapter 3 and before the original Insidious.

That makes The Last Key an interesting entry point within the larger mythology. It allows us to understand Elise before meeting her in the original film.

The movie came out in 2018 and was directed by Adam Robitel. Leigh Whannell came back to write the screenplay and also starred as Specs.

Lin Shaye comes back to play Elise Rainier while Angus Sampson plays Tucker again as part of the same paranormal investigator team.

In the movie, Elise gets a phone call regarding her childhood home and realizes that she needs to go through a very personal investigation.

Elise goes back to her childhood home, where the memories she has from there affect her even when she is an adult.

That is the difference between The Last Key and the other movies before that. The plot is not just another family being haunted.

Instead, the haunting is part of Elise’s past. The house serves as the embodiment of all that Elise wants to forget.

That adds an extra layer of emotional depth to the movie. And Lin Shaye gains a lot more material to work with.

The Story

Ultimately, The Last Key is the origin story of Elise. The movie examines the events that were responsible for the formation of Elise, who by this time had already become the paranormal investigator we all know.

The movie switches from Elise’s childhood to her adult years. In such a way, it provides the audience with a chance to understand how the past still influences Elise.

Elise finds out about her peculiar abilities in her childhood. Being sensitive to spirits makes her afraid of people around her.

Her father doesn’t comprehend her abilities. He treats Elise with violence and abuse.

Consequently, the childhood of Elise is connected to fear and powerlessness. The house symbolizes those feelings even when Elise grows up.

Much later on, Elise gets a phone call from someone living at that address, and all the memories that she wants to forget come flooding back to her.

This hesitation in deciding whether to return is natural because it is not your average haunted house investigation that Elise needs to undertake here.

For one, this is no other person’s nightmare that Elise is getting into; it is her own.

Such personal nature of the story makes for a powerful experience for viewers, and also adds a new layer to Elise’s courage.

Elise is always portrayed as someone who is not afraid to stand up to supernatural dangers. However, now she has to face something much more personal.

This makes for a perfect combination of supernatural horror and personal tragedy. The supernatural beings are tied to Elise’s traumatic past.

I appreciated this approach in storytelling very much. It gives the film something more substantial than another collection of supernatural scares.

A Different Kind of Insidious Story

Another factor that I really enjoyed about the movie is the introduction of the murder mystery aspect to the movie. This adds yet another genre to the list of genres that the movie has aside from the supernatural horror genre.

Instead of finding out which ghost haunts the house, there are several characters associated with the place whose past needs to be investigated.

Slowly, details about what had happened at the place come to light, thereby creating an element of mystery together with the usual horror.

It makes The Last Key a unique experience when compared to the two previous movies. All the elements of the supernatural are there, but the storytelling format changes.

It also provides Elise with something else to investigate other than the supernatural. Elise has to unravel what is going on with her family and the house.

For me, this was perhaps the most refreshing choice by the film makers. This fourth installment could easily have just repeated the same formula.

This time, they tried to flesh out the story a little bit more. It also provided an incentive for Elise to become more than the franchise’s go-to paranormal expert.

Some people may view this as a slightly slower movie as opposed to its predecessors. This film gives the story time to unfold with Elise’s childhood and the mystery surrounding it.

I did not mind this at all since I enjoyed learning about Elise’s background before moving to the climax of the movie. It also allows for the emotional parts to get their time in the limelight.

If this were not done, then Elise’s background would seem very rushed. It is not perfect at all times since sometimes the investigation could move faster.

Nonetheless, this is a lot better than having another movie rush into predictably shocking moments.

Elise Rainier Takes Centre Stage

Undoubtedly, the best aspect of The Last Key is Elise. This is her movie at last.

Her relevance to the franchise had already been set up in previous installments. However, in this installment, she is right at the heart of everything.

It was a good idea. Elise has always been one of the most fascinating characters in the franchise. She is not just another person who knows about supernatural things; she is empathic and brave.

Her powers are shown as something of a double-edged sword. She has the power to help, but at the same time, she has the ability to witness what no one else can see.

Her childhood accounts for why her abilities ended up becoming such a problem for her. The movie is able to show how fear can affect a person’s identity.

It makes the decision she eventually reaches in confronting the house even more powerful. It is not just about helping another victim.

This time, she is ready to face all of her haunting memories. Lin Shaye handles this emotional baggage beautifully.

Shaye gives off a kind of warmth that makes Elise very likable straight from the start. This quality is especially useful during more serious scenes.

Also, when necessary, she is able to be fierce. Elise never appears as someone who will simply run from trouble.

Such combination of qualities makes her a believable heroine of a horror movie. She is able to be afraid but also to stand up and fight.

Also, the age of Shaye is a good thing about her role. Elise is a heroine instead of a supportive character who waits for young heroes.

It adds another dimension to the movie. It is pleasant to see how a woman with experience leads the story of supernatural horror.

Several reviews from critics mentioned Shaye as one of the best parts of the movie. They had different opinions about the movie itself but her performance was praised.

For me, her acting is what keeps the movie grounded emotionally.

Elise, Specs and Tucker

The connection between Elise, Specs and Tucker is another huge asset. The chemistry has evolved naturally throughout the series.

Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson are full of character in their roles. Their sense of humor brings some lightness to the plot.

Specs and Tucker may come off as a comic relief. But their connection to Elise adds meaning to their roles.

They really care for Elise. Their loyalty plays a crucial role once Elise goes back to where she grew up.

The trio also looks comfortable with each other. Their dialogues flow naturally as though they had known each other for ages.

Elise is definitely the leader here. Specs and Tucker have their unique personalities that complement one another.

This makes the process of conducting the investigation appear much more realistic. They are not merely three characters brought together just because they happen to be in the same place.

At the same time, their humorous moments help make the movie less dark, as it becomes very tiring if there is nothing to catch one’s breath after a horror scene.

Specifically, I like the contrast between their friendship and Elise’s family background. The girl’s childhood was full of fear and uncertainty.

The grown-up Elise finally found those people who can rely on. And these people turned out to be Specs and Tucker.

Adam Robitel’s Direction

Adam Robitel had an interesting challenge with The Last Key. He was following James Wan‘s work on the first two films and Leigh whannell’s on the previous prequel.

Indeed, Wan had already created his horror language for the series. Thus, Robitel had to maintain the identity while creating his own unique approach.

The director achieves this rather successfully. This movie is still recognizable as the part of Insidious series.

Slow movements and deliberate framing are typical for Robitel. Moreover, he allows the scenes to develop before showing their supernatural elements.

Camera may move slowly into the room and along the hallway. This gives viewers a chance to explore the surroundings.

Such approach creates suspense without jumping on the viewer immediately. We are starting to think if there would be anything.

Robitel also employs almost omniscient camera angles, which allows him to occasionally show the audience spaces that are invisible to the characters themselves.

It is a technique of creating dramatic irony. The viewer starts feeling suspicious about the environment before the character even realizes something wrong.

It is a strategy that works perfectly within the style of the franchise. James Wan employed the same principles in order to create frightening ordinary spaces.

The film also knows the importance of anticipation. Sometimes the potential for a scare is more powerful than the scare itself.

It is the point where Robitel manages to expand on Wan’s ideas without just copying them.

The director keeps using the horror lexicon of the franchise but applies it to tell Elise’s particular story.

It creates the difference in the emotional tone of his direction because the horror of the film is associated with memories, trauma and family.

Robitel also adds a new supernatural creature called KeyFace to his film. It provides the movie with its own visual identity within the franchise.

The creature’s design is relevant to the themes of the movie since keys symbolize imprisonment and restriction, inability to escape.

Therefore, Robitel understands the needs of the franchise very well. He does not want to reinvent the wheel but still wants to develop the franchise.

Toby Oliver’s Cinematography

Cinematography is provided by Toby Oliver. This aspect is especially significant since the movie is largely based on darkness.

Oliver uses shadows in order to limit visibility. It allows the viewer to wonder about something that may hide inside the frame.

It is highly efficient in the context of supernatural horror. Sometimes showing all may actually make a monster not so scary.

Oliver often leaves some parts of the room dark. They may serve as places where supernatural entities can hide.

Thus, there appears quite an intriguing interaction between the viewer and the frame. We do not only watch the scene.

We look for something in it.

This is a crucial aspect of horror films. It is as if the viewer becomes a part of the process of detecting danger.

The use of negative space in Oliver’s film works perfectly well too. The characters are sometimes placed far from large portions of empty space in the frame.

This empty space is immediately suspect. There is an expectation that something will happen in it.

Oliver’s cinematography thus complements Robitel’s creeping camera method. The camera moves slowly while the lighting makes the environment obscure.

The result is a visual style that is still linked to the other films. At the same time, The Last Key has a particularly dark atmosphere.

Lighting is a tool to distinguish reality from the supernatural world of The Further. This world appears to be heightened and surreal.

This results in a visual difference between the two worlds. One can understand whether or not the characters went to an unnatural place.

Oliver’s cinematography may not be groundbreaking. Yet it is well aware of the basics of the franchise.

Visual Effects

As for the visual effects, they are not as straightforward. The world of the supernatural gets extended.

There are practical effects, makeup and digital effects used throughout the film. The combination can actually work well if the techniques complement each other.

The practical effects are especially valuable in that case. The creatures can look more believable since they inhabit the same environment as the actors do.

It was one of the strengths of the original Insidious. Some of the most memorable images of the movie were simple yet very effective.

The Last Key sometimes relies more on digital effects. It becomes especially evident during some of the supernatural scenes.

I don’t think the problem is using too many CGI elements. The problem lies in the use of CGI.

Digital effects can be especially good when creating aspects of The Further. Some of the supernatural phenomena would be impossible to achieve practically.

On the other hand, CGI becomes weaker when it substitutes something that could have been done with practical effects.

The first Insidious was especially successful because of restraint. A creature appearing in the scene with actors could be extremely scary.

The Last Key sometimes shows more than it has to. It can make the mystery of the supernatural phenomenon less frightening.

The horror usually works better when there is an incomplete picture. Too many visual images may destroy the supernatural atmosphere.

KeyFace turns out to be a good example of the right balance. The creature is memorable and provides another recognizable element of the franchise.

The visual effects extend the mythology of the franchise. But they do not always enhance the quality of the effects of the previous movies.

In my opinion, the most valuable effects are those that stay in the environment of the film. The weakest effects are those that remind of the digital effect.

The film would benefit from the restrain. Hiding the threat from the audience could be more frightening.

Themes and Emotional Storytelling

However, the main idea of the movie is associated with the problem of confronting the past. Elise tries hard to move on and get rid of her childhood memories. Coming back home makes her face all those events that influenced her development. In this regard, the house symbolizes the trauma that still needs to be overcome.

Moreover, in the movie the viewer faces the theme of the effects of the traumatic experience. In particular, the character of Elise’s experiences in childhood shape her perception of fear and responsibility.

This way, the movie obtains a new emotional depth, which wasn’t present in the previous installments.

Additionally, there is a rather interesting theme of the family. Elise’s relationships with her father are quite complicated and traumatic. Moreover, it is rather important for her to maintain connections with her brother.

In this way, family trauma becomes one of the most important aspects of the movie. Eventually, the protagonist needs to realize whether she will allow the past to determine her life anymore. This way, the plot of the movie acquires a new meaning.

Defeating the ghost becomes more than just another survival situation. It becomes the confrontation with the monster, which haunted the heroine for decades.

Thus, the murder mystery subplot fits perfectly into these ideas. First of all, the detective investigation gives Elise another chance to find out the truth.

Secondly, the audience receives new information along with the main character. This makes the movie unique in comparison with other installments.

What Works

In my opinion, one of the biggest achievements of the film is the choice to build around Elise. The acting of Lin Shaye brings out emotion in this movie.

The background of the character adds to the plot making her more intriguing. It also puts into a different light her courage that we saw in the previous movies.

The inclusion of the murder mystery subplot is also one of the greatest achievements. It brings something new into the movie apart from the simple haunting.

The relations between Elise, Specs and Tucker work very well. The chemistry between them brings humor and warmth into the movie.

Robitel’s directing adds to the franchise and he knows how important the anticipation and fear are.

Toby Oliver’s cinematography enhances it by using the darkness and negative space to create an appropriate atmosphere.

The movie expands the mythology adding one more villain to the franchise – KeyFace.

The slower pace of the movie suited me perfectly. I liked to spend some time on exploring Elise’s past.

It might not suit everyone. But in my opinion, it gives some room to the movie.

What Did Not Work

One of the key shortcomings of the film is that at times it is not equally suspenseful.

Some of the scares can be predictable for those who saw other movies in the series and know their tricks.

The pace of the movie can also differ. The investigation takes time especially during the middle part of the movie.

This was not an issue for me personally. Still, for some viewers who expect constant scares this can be quite frustrating.

Another aspect where the movie shows its inconsistency is the use of visual effects. There is sometimes a discrepancy between digital and practical effects.

Sometimes there is too much explanation. This way some supernatural concepts would work better left unexplained.

At times the mythology of the film gets more complex than it needs to be. One of the positive things about the original movie was its mysterious supernatural world.

The Last Key sometimes tries to explain too many things. On one hand it gives satisfaction for franchise lovers, on the other hand it decreases the mystery.

The film also tries to include a lot of things in one story. It is an origin story, a supernatural horror movie and a crime mystery all together.

In most cases all of these parts work separately. They do not combine very well into one whole.

Still, I like this ambitious approach. It could have been easier just to re-use the formula from other installments.

Final Verdict

Insidious: The Last Key is not the strongest film in the franchise. However, it is one of its more interesting instalments.

It may have its weaknesses, but there is enough ambition here to make the film stand apart.

For me, Insidious: The Last Key is a strong and character-driven prequel, which isn’t without flaws but manages to open up a new part of the franchise for fans.

With Insidious: Out of the Further releasing this Friday, timing could not be better.

Having seen how much more we can learn about Elise, the question now becomes: what’s next for The Further?