15 Years Later, I’m Still Afraid of the Further
It was a late-night showing, and I went out to get my horror fix by myself. I have to say, I left the theater on edge and walking at a quick pace, as if the demons I met on screen might follow me home.
The theater was empty aside from three other couples, making my jumps and screams during the movie even more noticeable. It was 106 minutes of anxiety.
I caught a late-night showing of Insidious: Out of the Further—no fancy opening-night party, haunted activation or themed treat. I couldn’t even find a movie poster at the theater, though there were Red-Faced Demon popcorn buckets aplenty. I would have loved to have had that experience, but with a franchise so successful at scaring me, the extras weren’t necessary.
15 Years of the Further
Fifteen years and now six movies taking me into the Further, I was excited to once again hear that distinctive and startling music that plays with the Insidious title graphic.
The original Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2 are definitely my favorites in the series, with Chapter 3 and The Last Key maybe being my least favorites. But overall, this has been a great franchise, and I was excited to see where this installment would take me.
Afraid of the Dark
The scares and uneasy feeling came on right away, with only a slight reprieve when we were met with the present day—and I do mean slight. Dark and dimly lit on Earth gives way to an even darker, fog-filled Further.
I’m never quite sure how I feel about the ghosts and demons. They can look almost too human and have so much strength. Part of me wants them to be more transparent, more ghostly and less human, but maybe their strength and twisted humanity are exactly why I’m so scared of them.
Astral projection sounds so cool in theory—until you see the Further.
The ghosts, demons and undead that live there are so distinct and varied, and I would never want to meet any of them face-to-ghostly-face. Part of what continues to make the Further frightening is never knowing the power of what you’re encountering or how it will react to you. Can you quietly walk by unnoticed? Will it attack? Or can it throw you deeper into the Further with a simple point of a finger?
And then there’s the question I always want answered: What dark, twisted history brought these spirits there in the first place?
Meeting this story’s twisted spirit made me want even more of its backstory, while also creating another great Insidious character you desperately want to see disappear forever.
After six movies and 15 years of the Further, I’ve learned one thing: If I ever accidentally astral project my way into that place, I really hope Elise is there to help me find my way out.
The Living and the Dead
Luckily, Lin Shaye returns as Elise Rainier, still there to help, this time connecting through Gemma (Amelia Eve), a beautiful psychic tattoo artist.
But what does possession look like to someone who isn’t living it? Is it mental illness, or does it look like drug abuse? Could it be happening right in front of you, and would you know or understand? That’s the other side of the Further for those who don’t travel there, and it may be just as interesting and challenging as what happens to those who enter the purgatory-like realm.
We meet a new generation in this film, with powerful women finding their way through the darkness: Gemma (Amelia Eve), Clare (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Maya (Island Austin) and Ingrid (Laura Gordon). There is a unique feeling of empathy in this film that I haven’t felt with this franchise before.
Throughout the movie, I felt a connection to these characters and what they were experiencing, both in the Further and outside of it.
Something to Sink Your Teeth Into
Another distinct element of movie six is a disgusting dental scene. Giving me a newfound fear of dental procedures, I found myself hiding behind my hands—and feeling the need to floss before I left the theater. I don’t recall experiencing anything quite like that in the other Insidious movies.
The trailer promised creepy neighbors, and the movie delivered. There’s also that horrible feeling that a move won’t make the problem go away. You can’t escape the supernatural; you just have to find a way to deal with it.
And unfortunately, the comfort of a couch fort is forever gone.
Insidious has always been good at making me afraid of what might be hiding in the darkness or waiting just outside the frame. Out of the Further continues that tradition. The scares aren’t just about what suddenly appears; they’re about the anxiety of knowing something could appear and not knowing what it will do when it does.
Is There Still Room In The Further?
Six movies into a franchise, it would be easy for another trip into the Further to feel too familiar. Instead, Out of the Further gave me enough of what I already love about Insidious while introducing new characters, disturbing imagery, interesting twists and another twisted spirit I won’t soon forget. It didn’t replace the original films as my favorites, but it didn’t need to. It reminded me why I’ve continued following this franchise into the darkness for 15 years.
Beyond bringing Lin Shaye back as Elise, the Insidious franchise has always been good at connecting its stories, and this one is no different, with some familiar frightening faces.
After enjoying Out of the Further, I may be ready for a franchise rewatch.
And after six movies and 15 years, I still feel like there’s room for another Insidious.
As a fan, that’s something I want.