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adamwatchesmovies · 6 months

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Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

If you’ve lost count, Insidious: The Red Door is the fifth entry in the Insidious series. It's a direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2, with both Insidious: Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key serving as prequels to 2010’s Insidious. Confused yet? I don’t blame you. The franchise’s tight continuity involves its own mythology on top of some head-warping time-travel elements. It’s been ten years since we last saw the Lamberts. Thankfully, writer Scott Teems reminds you of all the important details but nothing in this entry is groundbreaking, which can easily make it feel like “just another one”.

In 2010, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his son Dalton’s memories of The Further are repressed via hypnosis after Josh becomes possessed (see the events of “Insidious: Chapter 2”). Nine years later, Josh is divorced from his wife Renai (Rose Byrne), his mother has passed away and his relationship with Dalton (Ty Simpkins) has become strained. When Dalton rediscovers his astral projection abilities, he risks unleashing a forgotten evil. Meanwhile, his father begins seeing a ghost as well.

I’ve seen all of the Insidious films but have to confess that I don’t remember them all very clearly. I remember some of the monsters we saw along the way, how The Further works and the characters but I get what happened in which film mixed up - probably a symptom of their criss-crossy stories. It’s a good thing the film finds ways to explain it all to you. As Dalton begins college, he makes friends with Chris (Sinclair Daniel, very charming). As his abilities re-emerge, both have to rediscover the rules associated with this series. This may be frustrating for superfans who just want to get right into the terror. They may also be find this new chapter’s lack of innovation disappointing. It’s nice that we find out what happened after the end credits of Chapter 2 but did we REALLY need to? Wasn’t it scarier not knowing? The two movies that followed were more interested in going back rather than going forward - probably because the series killed off Lin Shaye’s Elise Rainier - and with the previous movie being called “The Last Key”, you’d think that meant the whole thing was done, but it isn’t. We get another one and if the post-credit shot (I won’t even call it a stinger) means anything, we’ll probably get a sixth one. It sort of makes you wonder how long it will take before the franchise goes into space.

Those sentiments aside, this is an effective ghost story. The monsters we encounter in “The Further” are frightening and you care about the characters. You’ve known them for so long. You feel bad for Josh. It’s good that he overcame the demonic possession from 2010, but that’s not a happy ending. You want something more, something better. Similarly, you want Dalton to reforge the bond between him and his dad and you’re worried that this ability he’s rediscovered will land him in an even more dangerous situation than before. He’s grown up… but alone. Some great, effective scenes build up the tension as spooky figures slowly get closer and closer to our protagonists. Other threats approach in a less literal way, as Dalton keeps exploring The Further without knowing what that place is actually about. There’s a recurring motif of a painting he’s working on and of a sinister red door. His teacher pushes him to explore the recesses of his soul to create - not knowing this is exactly what the wraiths are hoping for. His memories are slowly returning and as they do, he’s putting the finishing touches on the painting. When you see the whole thing finished, it’s a great reveal and that idea of remembering important details through paint and a brush comes together splendidly at the end in a scene that I found unexpectedly emotional.

As a directorial debut, Patrick Wilson could've done much worse than Insidious: The Red Door, particularly considering his character plays a major role in the film. The movie has some good scares, creepy monsters and the characters - both new and recurring - are likable. I won't call this chapter essential, even for those who've followed this universe since the beginning but if you're interested, I'd say check it out. (September 22, 2023)

#Insidious: The Red Door #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Patrick Wilson #Scott Teems #Leigh Whannell #Ty Simpkins #Sinclair Daniel #Jiam Abbass #Rose Byrne #2023 movies #2023 films

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years

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did west think not trying at all would somehow work? he did not have much better chemistry with the actress playing camilla imo. i did not believe he wanted to be a tampon, maybe one for actual charles lmao. west said in an interview(s?) he is somehow a part of the prince's trust so idk if he is to blame for the prince's trust episode. i feel like pm intended the kitchen scene to be a mix of the australia scene & 'i hug who i want' scene for s5 but debicki was the only one who showed up. that scene might have been better if it happened before the divorce was official. maybe the omelette turned scrambled eggs are an unintended metaphor for this season lol.

A lot of people are a part of The Prince's Trust, so I will say that I doubt Dominic had anything to do with that. The Prince's Trust is one of those things PM should've reined himself in on... and if this had been the final season like it was originally lol, he may have. But he had two seasons for the 90s, so he geeked out very unwisely.

He's a good actor and he knows how to play a sleaze ball cheater (literally not even a jab at his personal life, I don't know his marriage and its rules, he was the lead of The Affair, enough said). I personally don't think an accurate Charles was what this season wanted. What the season wanted was a Charles that was better than what he is and was. Handsome Squidward, but make it Prince Charles. He's a perfectly good actor, but this is not the role for him, and it wasn't a well-written role, either.

I think other actors could have played Charles better, but I don't think that other actors would've been much better with the hodgepodge of a script this season had, especially for Charles. Is he whiny? Is he valiant and trying to modernize the monarchy? Is he creeping in and trying to politically assassinate his mother? Is he gross for the tampon comment, or just harmlessly, sweetly cringe? Josh O'Connor is probably the only person who could've brought it all together, but even then the writing for Charles made noooo sense compared to the slip from s3 to s4. S3 gave a guy who was cringe and privileged, but kinda pathetically sad and emotionally neglected by his parents. S4 took that same guy and upped his resentment level because he was denied the thing he wanted most (which makes sense--he responded badly and we should've known because his privilege and entitlement was always key to his character, even when he was sad) and gave him a figure to put all of his self-loathing and hatred of his parents onto. He couldn't hurt Elizabeth and Philip for not loving him correctly and denying him Camilla, not in the way he wanted, so he hurt Diana because she was closest and beneath him and wouldn't fight back. You could even say (and I mean this about fictional Charles, not the real guy) that in Diana's desperation for his love he saw his own desperation for love, and he struck out at that. Diana singing Phantom of the Opera songs to Charles was Charles telling Mummy he had a voice, or flopping at school in front of Philip.

The issue is that you go from the guy who's literally, let's be real, a hair's breadth away from striking Diana during the "I hug who I want" fight... to a guy who has had so little time pass, but seems more self-assured, fine and dandy, and really not even that angry in s5. It is WIIIIILD to me that s5 only had like... One big fight between Charles and Diana. Yes, s4 only had one massive fight, but there were so many more mean comments, so much more outward resentment in s4. They made SO little of the book in s5, and that was wild because Charles and Diana had like, face to face screaming matches over that book. He was cold, but he heated up when he got super fucking angry at her.

The path for Diana was a lot clearer to me because in s4 we ended with her outwardly telling Philip she was kinda fucking done... And ending with her so removed from the family. The ending for Charles was much less... powerful? Purposefully, I'm sure. But the leap in the writing was wild. Charles in s4 really did not have any empowered moments beyond stepping on Diana, if that counts. It's like they got spooked by the backlash to s4 and reworked. Which was stupid, lol, because s4 may have been hated by the royals but in terms of critical and fan reaction it was very, very successful.

To be blunt, I think that most actors are going to have a very hard time following Josh O'Connor when it comes to Charles, and while Dominic was the .... opposite of the direction they should've gone in, I think pretty much anyone besides Josh coming back for a third season would've had serious issues with the character consistency because there... was none. It wasn't just him trying to make Charles a different person, it was the script.

#the crown

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whoaiminactivenowwepa · 4 years

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Do No Harm - Episode 2 Rewatch (Review)

(Sorry, I accidentally posted a draft of this earlier and didn't realize it right away)

- "But wules awe meant to be bwoken" Did this child actually just replace all his R's with W's??? Best child actor. Deserves all the awards.

- I never mentioned this before, but I like Josh. He's real nice and quite dorky (which I love). And his loyalty towards Jason is... problematic though, where he'd do anything he'll say without even having to know the reason why. Basically I guess he's just a good assistant at the end of the day?

- I've only known Ruby for 5 seconds but I would die for her. She's like Lyra Silvertongue but ginger, and an algebra whiz too apparently.

- Wait why does Ruby get to have all the personality meanwhile Cole, who plays a much bigger role in the story, just seems quiet and dumb??

- Ahh yes, thank you Ian for the Ferrari product placement

- "What possessed you to buy this?" , " I don't know, but I know I was possessed" Hah.

- I get that Jason wants to protect Lena (esp when he's just been threatened by a drug lord), but she is a neuroligist after all. Like she and Ruben probably could've worked together and figured out a kill drug a lot faster. Instead he leaves her frustrated on the sidelines with no explanation as to what's going on.

- Isn't Jason kind of famous as a neurosurgeon? I'm surprised these drug dealers never came across him or any information about him at all during the 5 years Ian was gone.

- Jason and little Ruby have such a sweet father-daughter vibe going on here. It should be a crime to give a minor character so much personality and make her so likeable but then only have her around for one episode

- "Did Jason make you kill someone for him cuz you really should charge extra for that" Gosh, RACD made me forget how carefree and silly Ruben used to be when he ain't going through trauma. Makes me feel all bittersweet..

- So Jason left his previous hospital because of something with an "Unauthorized project of some kind". This is obviously referring to the knockout drug, so that means that he had met Ruben before switching to IMH. So Jason must have switched to monitor him and the drug research closely?

- And now the most iconic scene of the whole show

I fucking love you, Ruben

- I also love Ruby, but who the hell likes mint chip ice cream

- (And now, I am about to ramble some more about this show's missed opportunities) I love how this episode was about Jason and Ian being forced into each other's lives, and I wish the show focused on this more and less about a race to kill each other first. There's this anime film called 'Your Name', that tackles something similar and they execute it really well. In the film, these two complete strangers were suddenly switching bodies every other day, and though they never got to meet in person, they were still able to learn and understand so much about each other because they were literally given the chance to live in the other's shoes. The show could've been about that. It could've been about the two of them learning to understand each other when Jason and Ian's lives intertwine, thus eventually learning to coexist peacefully. *Sniff sniff* I think I smell a fanfic idea (I'd also really recommend watching Your Name if you haven't already. It's one of the best films I've ever seen)

- I wish Ian's longing to be a father to Cole was treated more as like something good rather than something bad in the end of the episode. I mean I know, I know, Ian's a terrible person. Cole is 10x better off without his abusive ass and Olivia has every right to be afraid of him. But the show just loves to antagonize Ian and ONLY Ian when Jason can be just as awful and manipulative in later episodes. At the end of the day, they're both just awful people that want so badly to be apart from one another.

Okay now, this episode is waaay better than the first. I like that they addressed the life Ian had that had to go on hold when Jason started taking Ruben's KO drug. And I love watching them both run into each other's careers/businesses and watch how they deal with the problems arising.

7/10

#do no harm #jason cole #ian price #ruben marcado #racd

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