Insidious: Out of the Further (2026)

“Insidious: Out of the Further” stars Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Lin Shaye.  Released on August 21, 2026, the film follows a woman who discovers a terrifying ability tied to the Further.

The film is written and directed by Jacob Chase, who’s known for directing “Come Play”.  It is the sixth installment in the Insidious franchise.  When “The Red Door” was released three years ago, it marked the last time we would see the Lambert family confront the nefarious entities from the Further.  While they finally got the peace they deserved after three movies, that doesn’t mean the Further is done making things go bump in the night.  As is tradition in the realm of horror, the terrifying world of “Insidious” returns once again with yet another installment that focuses on the demons’ latest victim, but with a catch.  These entities usually bring their haunts within the astral plane, notably the “Further”, but now, thanks to its new protagonist, they’re taking their brand of terror to the real world.  Does this addition to the franchise’s lore help revive its formerly scary concept, or should we stay away from the Further for good this time?  Let’s find out.

The story centers on Gemma Hall (Eve), a young mother raising her daughter, Maya (Island Austin), in her childhood home.  Amid her challenges as a single mom, she discovers an unusual ability that affects her daily life: she can travel into the Further, a purgatorial realm filled with lost souls and dangerous entities.  Not only that, but she can also bring whatever lives in the Further back into the real world with her.  Once the demons recognize Gemma’s potential, they seek to exploit her newfound power to wreak havoc in her own world.  This led Gemma to find a way to prevent the entities from invading the mortal world.

It's been a while since I’ve seen the previous “Insidious” installments, but I remember liking the first and third movies most, especially for their frights and spine-chilling aura.  The other ones, on the other hand, were pretty much akin to any other modern horror sequels: cheap cash grabs that lack as many memorable scares as their predecessors.  Even “The Red Door”, which is classified as the end of the Lambert family’s journey, failed to generate any interest or scares in its unnecessary chapter of their encounter with the Further.  So, it’s easy to see why I was hesitant about seeing “Out of the Further”.  On the one hand, it features a new protagonist confronting the Further, akin to “Insidious: Chapter 3”, as well as a new addition to the franchise’s lore, providing another refreshing perspective of the creepy world-building introduced in the first film.  On the other hand, “The Red Door” felt like a respectable conclusion to the franchise, so the existence of this installment seems more like a desperate plea for more money.  

After another trip back to the Further, I realized it is another plea for more money, like other horror sequels that overstayed their welcome.  However, I also came to a surprising realization: the overall experience was anything but desperate.  “Out of the Further” may not have helped the franchise escape from cash grab hell entirely, but it does deliver a small improvement over the Lambert family’s last encounter with the demon-filled realm.  One factor in that mild success is its world-building.  “Insidious” and its sequels have crafted and expanded on certain details and rules that shape the Further as an eerily haunting and bleak version of the real world, something you would usually see in your nightmares.  These elements, along with its intense terror and demon designs, are enough to push the PG-13 rating just a smidge over the limit, so like its predecessors, this film will very much make you think twice before taking your underage kids.  

“Out of the Further” introduces audiences to a protagonist who’s allowed to interact with the Further and even bring spirits or objects in and out of it.  While that may seem helpful in getting in touch with some dead relatives, it can also be pretty dangerous, especially when there’s a new demon eager to use it to set the spirits free.  Unsurprisingly, the film plays out like the previous “Insidious” movies regarding its structure and concept, a common misstep that plunged the franchise’s terrifying impact.  Fortunately, rather than letting the formula run its tedious course, writer/director Jacob Chase emphasized this refreshing idea, making its clichéd plot a more compelling, nightmarish ride than “The Red Door”.  Gemma’s ability plays a crucial role not only in her relationship with her daughter, but also in her past.  Gemma’s traumatic childhood highlights the film’s theme of generational trauma, as she strives to become a better mother to Maya than her own mother was.  This alone offers some surprising emotional hints of Gemma’s struggle to face her past in hopes of a brighter future for her and her daughter.

That emotional heft is certainly a breath of fresh air, especially in a horror movie like “Insidious”.  Sadly, those intentions were bogged down by its franchise limitations and a screenplay that favors genre cliches and simplicity over expanding on its thematic depth.  Granted, people come to an “Insidious” film for the scares and nightmarish thrills rather than a layered masterpiece, and “Out of the Further”, to my surprise, offered several moments that were worthy of those reasons.  Again, that includes the new characters, who are tolerable enough in their relationship, and Gemma’s gift, which resulted in some decent jump scares.  But it’s also easy to admit that, six movies into the franchise, the concept still shows minor cracks in its horrific impact compared to the first three installments.  Its emotional moments, while promising, didn’t feel as rewarding as they should have, and the third act can feel sillier than frightening.  However, even with these noticeable flaws, I still think “Out of the Further” came pretty close to being as enjoyable as the first three “Insidious” movies.

One such reason is Jacob Chase.  I’ve seen bits and pieces of his previous film, “Come Play”, which was released during the early days of the pandemic.  It’s anything but a horror masterpiece, but the atmosphere and creepiness somehow compensate for its shortcomings.  The same can be said for his vision in “Out of the Further”, where Chase starts to find his footing in the horror space, especially with the atmosphere.  “Insidious” brings us an eerie, unnerving, and empty world of the Further, along with fitting shots and visuals that earn its jump-scare tactics.  Chase follows those elements with a tee, delivering an eerily engaging ride through its familiar space that also evokes some solid jump scares, but only in the first act.  The rest of the scares didn’t quite match the impact of what I’ve seen.  However, I did get a kick out of the pillow fort sequence, where Gemma travels through the Further’s never-ending pillow maze.  It’s tense, claustrophobic, and pretty darn spooky.  This blend, along with Chase’s approach to the fear stemming from its location, makes it one of the highlights of the horror franchise in my eyes.

Another reason is the respectable cast, mainly Amelia Eve and Lin Shaye.  Eve is no stranger to the supernatural, thanks to her role in Mike Flanagan’s “The Haunting of Bly Manor” on Netflix.  So it shouldn’t be a difficult task for her to take over the franchise as its new protagonist with a terrifying ability.  Fortunately, she was able to accomplish that with her performance.  Amelia Eve managed to instill fear and shock into Gemma’s experiences with the Further and even the heart that stems from her relationship with Maya.  The result is a respectable performance that earns my attention towards Eve’s upcoming projects.  But, of course, it isn’t an “Insidious” film without Lin Shaye, who continues to dominate as the main face of the franchise.  Despite being dead, Shaye’s Elise is still here to lend a helping hand to those who fell victim to the Further’s devious ways.  She has a couple of enjoyable moments that may not be as memorable as her previous outings, but they're fun enough to justify her existence, mainly because of Shaye’s commitment to the role.  Brandon Perea was also all right in his role as Nick, Gemma’s love interest, while Sam Spruell brings out the terror with his performance as Cyrus Lam, even if he doesn’t compare with the franchise’s other antagonists.

Overall, “Insidious: Out of the Further” barely escapes from the depths of horror mediocrity with a surprisingly tolerable nightmarish ride that improves over our last couple of trips.  It may be another cash-grab sequel in the horror movie realm, but its new addition to the Further’s lore helped provide a refreshing perspective on the terrifying realm that’s been giving audiences nightmares since 2010.  Not only that, but it also delivers a plot that’s familiar by franchise standards yet engaging enough to warrant our attention to its new characters and themes, even if its narrative potential got lost in its usual cliches.  Its attempt at providing emotion and its hit-and-miss third act doesn't convince me that the “Insidious” franchise is back in full swing, but after the dull experience that was “The Red Door”, I’m willing to call it a small step in the right direction.  Regarding its cast, Jacob Chase’s direction, and enjoyable jump scares, this latest trip back to the Further will surely satisfy those eager to confront the devious demons once more.  As for those who gave up after the first three films, they’re better off staying put in the real world.  ​

C+