INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY

released OUT NOW! 2018 | 15 | Blu-ray/dVd/download Director adam robitel Cast lin shaye, leigh Whannell, angus sampson, Caitlin Gerard

The first Insidious movie was original and clever. The fourth is neither of those things. But within its own world, Insidious: The Last Key just about works.

Its biggest bonus is Lin Shaye as psychic Elise. A sequel to Insidious: Chapter 3, which was itself a prequel to the original, Last Key takes place in 2010, leading right up to the events of the first film. This is Elise’s origin story. Events from her childhood are dragged into the spotlight when she’s summoned back to exorcise the home she left aged 16, which is riddled with demons. We say spotlight, but Last Key is a dark movie, sacrificing several scares because it’s simply too gloomy to see what’s going on. Still, there are plenty of jump jolts, many courtesy of go-to creature actor Javier Botet as the main demon, the imaginatively nicknamed Key Face. Writer Leigh Whannell returns with Angus Sampson as Elise’s sidekicks Specs and Tucker.

The story is flimsy and incoherent and the tone totally uneven, with Specs and Tucker crowbarring in the gags at every chance, but Shaye makes a great heroine and there are franchise Easter eggs throughout for fans. Clun-key, schloc-key but still pretty spoo-key.

Extras Three short featurettes (10 minutes); eight deleted scenes (19 minutes); an alternate ending. Penny Archer