Insidious: The Red Door Review
Insidious: The Red Door (2023) Movie reviewOR movie run by Patrick Wilsonwritten by Leigh Whannell AND Scott Teems and playing Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbas, Andrew Astor, Juliana Davies, Steve Coulter, Peter Days, Justin Sturgis, Joseph Bishara, David Call, Stephen Gray, Robin S. Walker, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Lin Shaye AND Bridget Kim.
Secret: The Red Door is directed by its central star, Patrick Wilson, and while there are plenty of potential dance scenes in the new pic that will have audiences jumping out of their seats, the film is strictly for fans of Secretly exclusivity. That’s because there isn’t much of a plot, and a lot of what happens here depends on knowing at least the previous pictures in the series. That being said, Wilson’s new entry has some really weird imagery and weird red lighting that might make fans appreciate the spooky style of the film.
This film begins with the story of how Wilson’s character, Josh Lambert, tries to bond with his college son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), after a family tragedy involving the loss of a loved one. Josh and his significant other, Renai (Rose Byrne), are on shaky ground, unfortunately, but Josh texts Dalton asking if he can take him to his new school. Dalton reluctantly agrees. When they arrive at Dalton’s college dorm, it’s a roommate named Chris Winslow (Sinclair Daniel) who comes into the picture. Of course, a male and a female roommate is going to be a problem, so Chris tries to get a new room right away, but has no luck doing so right away, and Dalton and Chris are forced to spend some time together.
An acclaimed Hiam Abbass serves as Dalton’s teacher, Professor Armagan, who tells a classmate to tear up his artwork. When the student refuses to do this, he ends up leaving the class in an unhappy state. Dalton bravely removes his artwork suggesting that he may have what it takes to overcome the tough problem and set himself apart from everyone else in the class.
A large part of this film focuses on the interaction between Chris and Dalton who seem to have a relationship. Chris loves to play her musical instrument and the film has fun with that fact. The “Red Door” of the film’s title leads to tortured souls and is the nexus of many scary scenes that take place, which can please fans of this franchise. Renai ends up returning to the action later, and a lot of what happens has a hidden meaning behind it that isn’t always easy to decipher on the surface. There is an indescribable bond between Josh and Dalton that the film focuses on and does so in an interesting and compelling way.
A particularly chilling scene comes when Dalton begins to transform into something truly ghastly while in the company of the charismatic Chris. This is one of the most suspenseful parts of the film. Many of the horrific scenes are symbols of things that are true Secretly fans may want to explore under a microscope. However, the film does not work as well as a standalone picture. You have to like (or at least have seen) some of the previous pictures to really understand some of the new movie, especially when a series favorite, Elise (Lin Shaye) shows up in fear. The latter film will work best for people who are familiar with the material.
Wilson is an interesting choice to direct the film and he does a good job here. Exploring art versus the idea of tortured souls is a timeless theme that is done well at least to some extent. It’s a shame the movie doesn’t have some bigger plot developments to keep the action moving. It relies heavily on dance moves and will probably play better with a theater audience than at home.
Simpkins is good in what is really a major part for the actor. Simpkins’s Dalton explores the idea familiar to audiences as “The Further” through his character here, and Simpkins manages to add more depth and complexity to Dalton than what was perhaps on the page. Patrick Wilson is also successful in portraying the father who wants to bond with Dalton under less dire circumstances than those in the film. Rose Byrne tries to make the most of her short screen time, although the actress is clearly under contract to reprise this role again and is a bit harsh here.
Be aware that there are scenes with strange looking people, excessive vomiting, and other images that may make the film a bit uncomfortable to watch for people unfamiliar with the material the film presents. Everyone else who knows what they’re getting into by watching this movie can enjoy it a lot more because of their familiarity with the previous movies. Secret: The Red Door has a built-in audience and although the script could have used more work, the premise could be enough to satisfy the film’s intended audience.
ASSESSMENT: 6/10
Leave your thoughts on this Secret: The Red Door review and movie below in the comments section. Readers looking to support this type of content can visit our site Patreon YOUR and become one of The Movie Book the patrons. Readers looking for more movie reviews can visit our site Movie review siteOUR Twitter movie review siteand ours Facebook Movie Review Page. Want updated notifications? The movie book staff members publish articles via Email, Feedly, I tweetFac
