It’s officially summer! You know what that means – the barbecues are fired up, the humidity is climbing, and the summer blockbuster horror season has begun. If you think most horror films get released in October, you may be right, but some of the best horror films get a blockbuster summer release—when the kids are out of school and the crowds are almost as big as the scares. Notice I said some. While I still have high hopes for Talk to Me, this fan of the Insidious franchise must reluctantly admit that Insidious: The Red Door is a letdown. But have no fear – or rather, have fear – I will be sure to leave you with a few summer recs in this SpecialK Summary Judgment.
In Insidious: The Red Door we catch up with our favorite frightened family, the Lamberts. Much has changed. Dad Josh and son Dalton have had their memories of “the further” – the land of lost souls they access in their sleep – wiped from their minds. But it does little to keep the family together, as the parents have since split up and an angsty and bitter Dalton is off to college. Soon Dalton throws himself into an advanced art class that has him digging deep into his memories and scrounging up demons from the past. Will he find his way back to the further? Will his father? Will their family be whole again?
Normally I’d say see the film to find out – but honestly if you’ve made it this far in the Insidious series you probably know what’s coming. Spoiler alert – they end up in the further again, they have a hard time finding their way out of all that fog again, and ultimately there’s another happy ending. Again. Now it’s not unusual for these films to follow that predictable arc, but usually there are a few fun scares and eerie moments along the way to make it all worth it. Check out my review of Insidious: The Last Key, for example.
This time, there’s no saving grace. The frights are either predictable shots, anger-inducing pointless jump scares, or repeats from prior films (and not in a fun throwback kind of way). As much as I love Patrick Wilson as the lead in both the Insidious and The Conjuring franchises, his directorial debut here is milquetoast.
Does this film have some redeeming qualities? Sure. It’s impressive that the two child actors from the original film have carried through to this version and their performances actually remain believable. Plus of course Rose Byrne cannot fail, and captures the focus of every shot she’s in, and Sinclair Daniel is a breath of fresh air. But unfortunately perhaps the best part of this film is the fact that it once and for all puts the nail in the coffin of this franchise, perhaps a few films too late.
But if you’re itching for a summer scare and can’t wait for Talk to Me, I recommend checking out two flicks you might have missed last year, both available to stream now: Arctic Void and Deadstream.
In Arctic Void, a travel show television crew joins a Norwegian tour boat to take in the beauty of the icy land and frigid waters of the far North. But seemingly out of the blue, most of the boat’s passengers unexpectedly disappear and the three men are left wondering what happened—and more importantly, how to get to safety as they start to fall apart mentally and physically.
A bare bones film captured over the course of 16 days with just as many actors, Arctic Void does a lot with a little. Between the mysterious physical symptoms, the unexplained disappearances, and the mental deterioration of the characters, the film is ultimately a creepy commentary on nature, science, and greed. In lieu of jump scares, the terror is more of a low hum, an eerie slow burn, yet the film treks along at a satisfyingly mesmerizing pace, keeping you guessing until the end. Is it perfect? No. In its simplicity, it lacks in the special effects department, and there are a few scenes that would have been better portrayed rather than described, but ultimately it’s a great choice for a quiet summer night.
A film opposite in almost every way but perhaps even more fun is Deadstream. In this Shudder release, we meet Shawn, an influencer who found fame taking on wild dares and who now vows to spend a night alone in a haunted house while livestreaming his whole experience. We are lured in as we watch him set up his cameras and share a detailed history of the home, and before long, he’s prodding the spirits with séances and stunts. The ghosts do not disappoint, and we take it all in from the point of view of one of his followers, even reading the chat bubbles that pop up on screen.
A found footage film (my favorite kind!), Deadstream leverages modern-day technology to draw the viewer practically inside the film, much like Searching or Host. It not only has a full range of paranormal scares involving everything from ghosts to zombies to crazed fans, but the film also pokes fun at today’s frenetic consumption of influencer culture. You’ll laugh, you’ll scream, you’ll laugh again. Check it out and you won’t be disappointed.
SpecialK Verdict: Instead of Insidious: The Red Door, skip the theater for now and check out some quiet, contemplative terror in Arctic Void or fun, in-your-face influencer horror in Deadstream, all from the comfort of your couch.
Insidious: The Red Door opened in theaters Friday, July 7, and Arctic Void and Deadstream are available on demand.
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