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All 5 Movies In The Insidious Film Series Ranked Worst-Best
The Insidious film series is one of the most quietly successful movie franchises in recent years and each one brings something different to the horror table. The Insidious franchise is the joint creation of James Wan and Leigh Whannell, two of the modern masters of horror, and the series of movies serves almost as a spine winding its way through the genre from 2010 on. It was made, in part, as a response to Wan and Whannell’s early careers, marked by their game-changing Saw movies. Insidious was a way to prove they didn’t need outrageous gore to make something scary.
Insidious and the subsequent films in the franchise star a relatively consistent cast of actors, including scream king and queens Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lin Shaye. With their surprisingly low budget and recycling of crew and cast members (Wilson even directed The Red Door), there is a homegrown amateur quality to the Insidious franchise that feels much more akin to the classic horror franchises of directors like Wes Craven and George A. Romero. There are diminishing returns on Insidious installments, but they’re all worthwhile for one reason or another.
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Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
Lin Shaye Is Not Enough To Elevate A Confusing Movie
Insidious: The Last Key is the fourth installment of the Insidious franchise and the first to have neither Wan nor Whannell in the director’s chair. The Lasy Key is instead directed by Adam Robitel, whose credits include the solid Escape Room movies and the frightening if messy The Taking of Deborah Logan. It’s the second film in the Insidious chronology and follows Elise Rainier’s (Lin Shaye) childhood up to her becoming a paranormal investigator. The film ends on Renai Lambert’s (Byrne) desperate call for help in the first Insidious.
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The worst of the Insidious movies, The Last Key gives Shaye a chance to take the lead character duties, and the film is certainly boosted by her central performance, but it’s not enough to make the film work. It only earned a 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it still made $167.9 million over a $10 million budget at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo). The mystery and spiritualism that became unwieldy in the franchise finally toppled over in this one. There are just too many illogical lore mechanics to get through to make a truly effective movie.
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Insidious: The Red Door (2023)
An Attempt To Reinvigorate The Franchise Isn’t Original Enough
Insidious: The Red Door was a surprise, coming five years after the previous film in the franchise and, while it improved on The Last Key, it wasn’t the triumphant return of the franchise that some fans may have hoped. After two prequels in a row, The Red Door finally continues the story that began with the 2010 Insidious and continued with Insidious: Chapter 2. Set nine years after Josh’s possession, it’s revealed that Josh has divorced Renai, and his mother Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) has passed away. His relationship with his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is worse than ever.
The repressed feelings of the family soon let their demons back into their lives, and they must unite to defeat an old foe. The Red Door benefits from the return of Wilson, Byrne, and Simpkins and feels like a “back-to-basics” kind of move. Wilson is competent at the helm but really can’t offer much new that hasn’t been done before. It’s an admirable attempt to reinvigorate the franchise and fans came out for it, with the movie earning $189 million (via BoxOfficeMojo); but with a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film falls short.
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Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
A Slightly Disappointing Follow-Up Has Excellent Character Growth
There were high hopes for Insidious: Chapter 2 after the runaway success of Insidious and considering Wan released the first movie in the Conjuring franchise to much acclaim the same year, Insidious: Chapter 2 had some heavy expectations placed on it. This excitement for the film is probably in part why it earned $161.9 million over a $5 million budget (via BoxOfficeMojo) but with a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, Chapter 2 did not hit the same way the first film did.
The development of the Lamberts proves to be the best part of the film, with all three actors adding charisma and spark to some otherwise dull dialogue.
Taking place soon after the cliffhanger ending of the first film, Insidious: Chapter 2 sees Renai and Josh trying to sever their connection to the spirit world, established in the first movie. Despite having Wan and Whannell at the helm again, Chapter 2 lacks the tension and fear of the first film, though there are some notably creepy moments that stand up to the scares in the first movie. The development of the Lamberts proves to be the best part of the film, with all three actors adding charisma and spark to some otherwise dull dialogue.
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Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
An Unusual, Sentimental Take On The Insidious Story
Insidious: Chapter 3 in the only film in the Insidious franchise directed by Leigh Whannell, and as his directorial debut, it’s a solid horror film both i the canon and within the franchise. With a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and $113 million at the box office on a $10 million budget (via BoxOfficeMojo), Chapter 3 succeeded as well or better than any Insidious sequel, thanks in large part to Whannell’s steady directing hand and willingness to try out new ideas.
Leigh Whannell wrote the story for all five films and did the screenplay for every film but The Red Door.
Chapter 3 is a prequel film set three years before the first movie and follows a young girl, Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott), who inadvertently summons a demon when she tries to reach out to her deceased mother, Lily (Ele Keats). While it’s not as frightening as the Wan-directed films, it’s emotionally rich, and there’s a sentimentality that may be a bit goofy at times, but on rewatches are some of the best parts of the whole franchise. Lin Shaye once again shines and Insidious: Chapter 3 manages to adhere to the original storyline while still being something new.
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Insidious (2010)
A Frightening, Tight Film On A Shoestring Budget
The first film in the Insidious franchise, 2010’s Insidious, is a PG-13 film with terror more suited to an R-rated movie. This intro to the franchise sets up all the lore that will be further explored in future franchises, but it’s not just table-setting. Insidious is a horrifying film that digs into fears about raising children and how you never totally know the person you’ve chosen to spend your life with. It also asks, “What would you be willing to do to save the people you love?” It’s the best of what the franchise has to offer.
With a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes and $100 million at the box office over a budget of $1.5 million (via BoxOfficeMojo), Insidious was a massive hit. Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert proves himself an incredible horror lead here, appropriately fearful but determined to save his family. It’s Rose Byrne who steals the show, and whose honest reactions to some of the most frightening moments in Insidious are why songs like Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” still cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up.
The Future Of The Insidious Franchise
With Patrick Wilson taking the director’s reins in the 2023 movie Insidious: Red Door, it seemed he had a chance to move the franchise into the future. What resulted was the highest-grossing release in the franchise, making $189.1 million on a $16 million budget. However, while Wilson’s movie was a huge money maker, critics hated it, with a low 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and audience members only awarding it a 69% score. The film also seemed to give closure to the series. Despite that, the box office guaranteed more.
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Insidious 6: Release Date & Everything We Know
Though Insidious: The Red Door had a final quality, the horror franchise is returning and there are already a ton of updates about Insidious 6.
Several Insidious releases have been canceled, including a Sinister crossover, a Thread spinoff, and even a stage show. However, a sixth movie was scheduled for August 2025. It ended up being removed from the schedule and moved to an August 21, 2026, release date. There is no news on what fans can expect from the film. With the main characters seeming to have finished their story arcs, it is unclear if Patrick Wilson and Leigh Whannell will return, and there is also no word on whether Wilson will return to direct the film.
