My Review of Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

 

Written by Leigh Whannell And Scott Teems 

Directed by Patrick Wilson 

Josh: "It's happening. Something's following us."

After two movies that took a breather from the Lambert family (that also happened to be prequels), we're back with that family in question and it's been a while for them. Things have not improved.

In fact, this movie opened with the funeral for Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) and it was quickly revealed that Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) are separated and Josh's relationship with oldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) was also on rather shaky ground. In fact, it was rather hostile between father and son.

Also because so much time passed since Insidious: Chapter 2, Dalton was now in college and ended up sharing a dorm with a girl named Chris (Sinclair Daniel). She's an instantly likable character who proved to be a good sounding board. 

In fact, Dalton's more the focus of this movie with Chris being almost the second. Chris certainly seemed to have more screen time than either Josh or Renai and there was even a bit of a romantic vibe between Dalton and Chris. I really liked both of them as a team.

As for the monster/evil spirit in question, this time it was Ben Burton/Smash Face (Daid Call), linking into both Josh and Dalton's and connecting thr frat setting of this movie. There's memories unlocked for both Josh and Dalton as events from the first movies were addressed here to resolve present day issues.

In some ways this felt like a nice final chapter for the Lambert family as a whole. I mean, they're not entirely reunited but the issues between Josh and Dalton were resolved and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'd bring them back for further movies unless the story really justified it.

- There's smaller roles for Elise (Lin Shaye), Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) as they're relegated to YouTube videos. Elise and Josh do get a brief last scene together.

- Patrick Wilson directed this movie, making his debut in that field.

- Standout music: Ghost's version of Stay.

- Chronology: The movie was set in 2019, so nine years after the events of the second movie.

If I hadn't been aware of the fact that there was another movie in this franchise coming out this year, I'd think Insidious: The Red Door was a good final instalment. It certainly was for the Lambert family at the very least.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Insidious: The Last Key (2018)

 

Written by Leigh Whannell 

Directed by Adam Robitel 

Audrey (to Elise): "You know, you've been blessed with a gift. You're special. Some people are afraid of special people."

With the first two movies focused on the Lamberts and the third one being a prequel about the Brenners, I'm surprised this was also a prequel. Two prequel movies in a row? It did seem like an odd decision to be honest.

Then again, the focus happened to be on a young Elise Rainier (Ava Kolker/Hana Hayes). Years before being a demonology, Elise learned the hard way that her brute of a father, Gerald (Josh Stewart) didn't take kindly to get abilities. In fact, he seemed to delight in punishing Elise for something she couldn't control.

Horror movies certainly do love the abusive parent trips and Gerald Rainier was pretty horrible to watch as a character. His brutality wasn't just reserved for Elise as her younger brother, Christian (Pierce Pope/Thomas Robie) also fell victim to Gerald as did their mother, Audrey (Tessa Ferrer). When the latter died, Elise copped the blame until she couldn't take it anymore and left home.

In more recent times, the Elise we know (Lin Shaye) was now in business with Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) and a case brought Elise back to her old family home. There was a man named Ted Garza (Ted Acevedo) who needed Elise's help but it turned out that he was holding a woman prisoner as he believed she was possessed.

On top of that, Elise was reunited with her brother, Christian (Bruce Davidson) and met her nieces, Melissa (Spencer Locke) and Imogen (Caitlin Gerard). Needless to say that Christian harboured resentment at his old sister for abandoning him while Imogen revealed that she had the same abilities that Elise had as well.

The rest of the movie played out with the reveal of both Ted and Gerard being influenced by Keyface (Javier Botet). We did get to see both Elise and Christian make amends with one another and put some ghosts to rest, so to speak. 

- The last scene of the movie did set up the events of the first movie. There's an appearance from Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) as well.

- A minus but definitely could've done without both Specs and Tucker trying it on with Melissa and Imogen.

- Standout music: Oak Street Blues Band's Long Holidays.

- Chronology: Flashbacks to 1953 in Five Keys, New Mexico as well in 2010 to lead back into the first movie.

Insidious: The Last Key managed to be a better prequel than the previous movie. I think Elise Rainier really has been the glue to this franchise and I sometimes do wonder if there was a regret in killing her off so early. I'm glad that even death hasn't prevented this franchise from exploring the character much further.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

 

Written And Directed by Leigh Whannell 

Elise: "Time spent in conversation is never wasted."

After two movies with the Lamberts, it was time to park them as a unit and put the focus on the true star of this franchise - Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye). Oh and Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson).

Their talents were needed for the Brenner family. At the start of the movie we had teenager Quinn (Stefanie Scott) contacting Elise in order to talk to her dead mother, Lily (Ele Keats). Needless to say that Quinn was advised not to talk to her dead mother. This was advice that Quinn didn't take.

Throw in a neighbour named Grace (Phyllis Applegate) who had her own demonic encounters and a testy family dynamic with Quinn and her father, Sean (Dermot Mulroney). It's a different enough dynamic from the Lambert family in the previous two movies.

In fact, Quinn's aspiration of getting into acting resulted in her being in a car accident and being possessed by The Man Who Can't Breathe (Michael Reid MacKay). I'll admit the names for these evil spirits in these movies have been rather amusing.

Once again, there's a trip into The Further as well as an insight into Elise's past life. Her relationship with former husband, Jack got some exploration, in particular when Elise knew that The Man Who Can't Breathe was using his appearance to manipulate Elise into killing herself. Obviously that didn't work.

As a break away from the Lamberts, I didn't mind the Brenners. They're sympathetic enough and I also didn't mind Quinn's snarky friend, Maggie (Hayley Kiyoko). I also liked learning more about Elise's life prior to meeting the Lamberts as well.

- Leigh Whannell has written all these movies so far and has appeared as Specs. For a directorial debut, he did good here.

- James Wan popped up briefly as a theatre director. We also saw a younger version of Josh Lambert as well.

- Standout music: Deep Dish's Sacramento.

- Chronology: This was set in 2007, three years before the events of the first two movies.

Insidious: Chapter 3 marked the first of two prequels for this franchise. It's a good departure from the first two movies with a sympathetic family with the Brenners and a nice look into Elise's past.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

 

Written by James Wan And Leigh Whannell 

Directed by Leigh Whannell 

Josh: "I know what happened. I went in that place to get our son back and something evil followed me, who killed Elise."

With the first movie being such a hit, it's not a surprise that a sequel happened at such a quick pace. Nor was it surprising that the ending of the first movie would have consequences for this one.

At the end of the previous movie, we saw the death of Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) at the hands of a possessed Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson). Needless to say that freaked out his wife Renai (Rose Byrne) more than just a tad.

Naturally Elise's death got the police involved and both Josh and Renai along with Dalton (Ty Simpkins), Foster (Andrew Astor) and baby Kali went to live with Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) and that also evoked old memories.

There's flashbacks to a younger Josh being possessed and Barbara seeking out the help from Elise in order to save her son. The return of Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) did reveal how much of a threat that Josh now posed to his own family and there was The Bride In Black (Tom Fitzpatrick).

A serial killer known as Parker, aka The Bride In Black, I thought he made for a decent antagonist in this movie. However it's Patrick Wilson playing the possessed Josh that truly terrified in parts with Dalton having to be the one to save his family from his own father.

The only downside to this movie would be that once again, we've got memories suppressed. I got why the first movie did it but I didn't like it being done a second time. It's a trope that I don't particularly care for.

- The movie set up the events of Elise being able to visit a comatose girl named Allison.

- Jenna Ortega had a small role in this movie as Annie.

- Standout music: Alan Ett's Waiting For You.

- Chronology: Set in 2010 with 1986 flashbacks for Josh, Lorraine and Elise.

As a follow, I do think Insidious: Chapter 2 made for a decent sequel. We got further expansion on the Lamberts and Elise, a good antagonist with The Bride In Black but memory suppressing knocked it down for me.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

My Review of Insidious (2011)

 

Written by Leigh Whannell 

Directed by James Wan

Elise: "It's not the house that is haunted. It's your son."

It's amazing that in the last two decades that nearly every prominent horror franchise has had the involvement of both James Wan and Leigh Whannell in some capacity. With this movie, the former directed a script from the latter.

We've got a seemingly normal family. Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) have moved into a house with their sons Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and Foster (Andrew Astor) and baby Kali. Already you can tell where this was going to go.

It didn't take long for a mystery force to render poor Dalton into a coma and nor did it take both Josh and Renai long to realise that their new home had other occupants to boot. The married couple were out of their depth and needed help.

That was where Josh's mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) came in handy. Specifically her connection to medium and this franchise's most prominent character in Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye). If she couldn't help the Lamberts with their problem, then no one could.

Elise's team included the duo Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson). They're comic foils of sort but surprisingly competent as Elise took Josh into The Further and raked through various repressed memories in order to rescue Dalton. It turned out that both Dalton and Josh can astral project.

Of course there's a mean old lady spirit as well as other things such as Lipstick-Face Demon (Joseph Bishara), Dancing Boy (Ben Woolf) and Long Haired Fiend (J. LaRose). There's also a rather shocking end for a particular character who's only going to be more emphasised in later movies.

- Both Wan and Whannell worked on the Saw franchise while Patrick Wilson would be instrumental in The Conjuring franchise.

- The post credit had the old woman blowing out a candle.

- Standout music: Ludovico Einaudi's Nuvole Bianche.

- Chronology: It's set in the 2010, Dalton was comatose for three months and we had flashbacks to Josh's childhood.

Insidious as a franchise got off to a modest start with this one. The scares are decent, the Lamberts are a sympathetic lot with their own secrets but it's Lin Shaye's Elise that somewhat stole the movie.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Housemaid (2025)

 

Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine

Directed by Paul Feig

Nina: "You didn't deserve any of this."

Millie: "Neither did you."

Starting off 2026 with the remains of 2025, new movies iae for me and I went for this psychological thriller. There's two women and two men. Both women are more alike than they initially thought. The two men are more world's apart. Anyways.

At the start of this movie, rich housewife Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) interviewed the much younger Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) for the position of a housemaid in tje home she shared with her tech husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) and their daughter, Cecelia (Indiana Elle). It was a bit intimidating.

Mostly because it was established early into the movie Millie was recently paroled for murder and the least thing could send her back to prison to finish up her sentence. She basically lied about her qualifications but that didn't stop Nina from hiring Millie for the position either.

Nina also then spent a large chunk of the movie being the boss from Hell. She freaked out over misplaced notes, accused Millie of having designs on her husband, undermined and underpaid her at every turn. It was a miracle that by halfway through the movie Millie didn't snap and just kill Nina herself.

However, what did happen was a bit more obvious, until it wasn't. Millie and Andrew predictably started to sleep with each other and Nina got the boot. Then Andrew revealed his true colours and the whole messy backstory with Andrew and Nina was revealed through a letter/flashback use.

Andrew being a true abusive villain and Nina using Millie to get herself and Cecelia free from him with some assistance by kind-hearted groundskeeper Enzo Arcadi (Michele Morrone). I kind of wish we had seen a little more of him.

Of course Andrew started abusing Millie, subjecting her to the similar punishments he'd done on Nina but he messed with the wrong woman this time. Millie inflicted worse pain onto Andrew and by the end of the movie, Nina had her freedom and Millie had an avenging angel act in the guise of a housemaid. As for Andrew, it was obvious where he'd end up.

- There's a nice performance from Elizabeth Perkins as Andrew's mother, Evelyn.

- Millie was sent to prison for accidentally killing her dorm mate's rapist. She also smashed Andrew's family crockery and made him extract one of his front teeth.

- Standout music: Lana del Rey's Cinnamon Girl and Taylor Swift's I Did Something Bad.

- Chronology: Present day in Great Neck, Long Island. Nina and Cecelia were moving to California by the end of the movie.

I got to say, I really enjoyed The Housemaid (2025). Both Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney are on fine form and Brandon Sklenar to his credit did make for a decent antagonist. It's not as provocative as it wants to be, thriller wise but it did make for a diverting enough experience.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

2026: The Year Ahead For This Blog

I just realised that 2026 will mark twenty years since I first started blogger. That genuinely surprised me to realise. 

Anyways it also got me thinking about the year ahead for this particular account.

For the first month in 2026 alone, I will largely catching up on movies that were released in 2025 that I hadn't managed to catch up on. I'll be reviewing the Insidious franchise, starting tomorrow. Needless to say it will not be the only franchise I review in 2026.

In terms of television, I hope to do a review for the second series of BBC3's Juice but will mainly focus on new shows such as HBO's A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms (January 18th) and FX's The Beauty (January 21st) respectively.

As for this year, here's a few shows I'm looking forward to seeing over the next twelve months.

• Doctor Who - Christmas Day, BBC1
• Half Man - tbc, BBC1/HBO
• House Of The Dragon - summer, HBO 
• Lanterns - late summer, HBO 
• Bridgerton - January 29th/February 26th, Netflix
• Scrubs - February 25th, ABC
• The Boys - April 8th, Amazon Prime 
• Daredevil: Born Again - March, Disney+
• SAS Rogue Heroes - tbc, BBC1 
• American Horror Story - autumn, FX
• Love Story - February, FX
• The Shards - tbc, FX
• Vision Quest - tbc, Disney+
• Euphoria - spring, HBO 
• Malcolm In The Middle: Life's Still Unfair - April 10th, Hulu
• Crystal Lake - tbc, Peacock
• Carrie - tbc, Amazon Prime 
• Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story - autumn, Netflix
• Stranger Things: Tales From '85 - tbc, Netflix
• Interview With The Vampire - summer, AMC
• TipToe - tbc, Channel 4 
• Number Ten - tbc, Channel 4 
• Industry - January 11th, HBO/BBC2

Of course there will be other shows I end up watching, including ones not currently on my radar and there might be a few old shows I catch up with along the way.

As for most anticipated movies, there's some obvious choices, aren't they? 

• Dead Man's Wire (January 9th)
• Wuthering Heights (February 13th)
• Scream 7 (February 27th)
• The Bride (March 6th)
• The Drama (April 3rd)
• Mother Mary (April)
• The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1st)
• Masters Of The Universe (June 5th)
• Disclosure Day (June 12th)
• Toy Story 5 (June 19th)
• Supergirl (June 26th)
• The Odyssey (July 14th)
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31st)
• The Dog Stars (August 28th)
• Clayface (September 11th)
• Practical Magic 2 (September 18th)
• Digger (October 2nd)
• Narnia (November 26th)
• Avengers: Doomsday (December 18th)
• Dune Part Three (December 18th)
• Werewuf (December 25th)

These are the movies I'll definitely watch and review over the next twelve months. There will obviously be more movies, both old and new that will be reviewed along the way with TV Jumble blogs, opinion pieces and other bits.

Here's to a very interesting 2026.

2025: Year In Review

My last blog of 2025 and of course, it was going to be a look back at some of the shows I've watched.

Doctor Who (BBC1): Ncuti Gatwa's time as the Fifteenth Doctor might have been abrupt but at least he got to met the Rani and regenerate into Billie Piper.

The War Between The Land And The Sea (BBC1): Our first spin-off in the Whoinverse had Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw embark on an interspecies romance in the midst of a global conflict.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix): 2025 hasn't been Ryan Murphy's year but his continued foray into true crime still gets an audience and a hell of a performance from Charlie Hunnam to boot.

Peacemaker (HBO Max): Season 2 might not have stuck the landing with it's ending but for the most part, I do think it was actually a good follow up from it's first season.

Pluribus (Apple TV): A late entry for me but this sci-fi hive mind show with a lesbian protagonist absolutely warranted the hype it received.

The Last Of Us (HBO): Season 2 only went and killed Joel off and a good portion of it's audience. It still managed to produce some good moments in spite of that.

Adolescence (Netflix): The most talked about miniseries this year tackling the issue of knife crime and a star making performance from Owen Cooper.

Big Boys (Channel 4): Series 3 marked a poignant final outing for Jack Rooke's vastly underrated show. It ended on a lovely note.

Only Murders In The Building (Hulu/Disney+): Season 5 might have been weaker compared to past glories but there was some fun to be had and moving to London next season opens up some great casting possibilities.

The Traitors - UK/Irish/Celebrity Versions (BBC1/RTE1): The biggest reality show on television and one that continued to expand with even the Irish being able to hold up its own. 

The Bear (FX/Disney+): Season 4 might have shown signs that this show can't go on forever but it still gave us that wedding episode with Brie Larson.

It - Welcome To Derry (HBO): Talk about a redemption arc for Andy Muschietti. This eight part prequel series for Pennywise might have been one of the best horror shows of the year.

Heated Rivalry (Crave/HBO Max): Who would've thought this adaptation of two rival hockey players falling in love would've gripped everyone in the last month? I didn't see it coming.

Harley Quinn (HBO Max): Season 5 saw a relocation to Metropolis, Brainiac at his most sympathetic, Harley and Ivy nearly at odds and sibling rivalry with Lex and Lena.

Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+): While this sequel series didn't quite hit the heights of its Netflix predecessor, it was a nice reminder of how brilliant Charlie Cox is in the title role.

Towards Zero (BBC1/BritBox): Unfairly hated by some, I actually found this three episode adaptation fairly enjoyable. Oliver Jackson-Cohen's hairy chest alone was a highlight.

Yellowjackets (Showtime/Paramount+): The third season killed off both Lottie and Van, made Shauna even more psychotic and revealed Melissa to be alive. Misty and Taissa almost seemed normal by comparison.

Dexter: Resurrection (Showtime/Paramount+): While the really prequel got renewed and then cancelled, this sequel produced some of the best since the original show's fourth season in 2009. What a glorious comeback for the character and Michael C. Hall.

The Sandman (Netflix): Season 2 brought one version of Dream to an end while issuing in the arrival of another. It was truly a family affair for this show's last outing.

The Death Of Bunny Munro (Sky TV): Matt Smith proving yet again that he's an incredible actor with this brilliant adaptation of Nick Cave's book of the same name.

And Just Like That (HBO Max): Several characters were lost, Carrie dumped Aidan and the show just ended. 

All's Fair (Hulu/Disney+): Sarah Paulson's venomous Carrington Lane was everything good about this messy show.

EastEnders (BBC1): The 40th anniversary was undoubtedly a highlight in a divisive run.

Toxic Town (Netflix): That other Jack Thorne miniseries that might have gone under the radar. Give it a go if you haven't already.

The White Lotus (HBO): While not as strong as the first two seasons, the move to Thailand still managed to be as chaotic and bloody as ever.

Prime Target (Apple TV): Leo Woodall as a cute and gay maths expert could've worked in a much better paced and sexier show than this one.

Mid Century Modern (Hulu/Disney+): A gay version of The Golden Girls was never going to work but this show at least tried.

House Of Guinness (Netflix): Steven Knight's on one of Ireland's most famous of families was certainly something to behold.

SAS Rogue Heroes (BBC1): Watched both seasons and loved Jack O'Connell's performance as Paddy Maybe.

Big Brother UK (ITV2): The 25th anniversary gave us a deserving winner among some horrible and mediocre housemates.

Boots (Netflix): This eight part military themed show with a gay protagonist and a lot of hunky guys fell victim to cancellation. It deserved better.

Overcompensating (Amazon Prime): Benito Skinner served some 2010s nostalgia with this mostly fun comedy series.

Stranger Things (Netflix): Season 5 has been rocky but here's hoping tonight's episode will end it on a high note.

Juice (BBC3): Mawann Rizwan's zany show came back for a second series with Russell Tovey as the more straight laced boyfriend again. Some sexy stuff in it.

Wednesday (Netflix): Wasting Lady Gaga to one side, I did like this second season. The new characters mostly worked as well. 

Poker Face (Peacock): Season 2 might have been it's last but it certainly upped the guest stars and their rapport with Natasha Lyonne.

That's it for 2025. Yes, there's some shows like Severance and The Pitt that I missed out on but in general, I did watch a lot and even caught up with some older shows as well. Here's to 2026 and the TV moments it'll bring.

My Review of One Battle After Another (2025)

 

Written And Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Bob: "I don't get mad. I don't get mad about anything anymore."

Going to end this year with one more movie review of a 2025 release and I picked an award contender that quite frankly, I didn't care for it. I get that this movie's become a favourite over the last few months but not for me.

A clumsily handled and needlessly political thriller meets satire (because some scenes are just outright ridiculous), you've got Leonardo DiCaprio (an actor I normally like) in a rather unconvincing performance as a burned out and paranoid revolutionary named Bob Ferguson. Years ago he was also known as "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun.

Early in the movie, Bob and his pregnant lover, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) were a part of the group, French 75. They were freeing immigrants and Perfidia took delight in humiliatingSteven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Let's just that Perfidia and Lockjaw would have a very messed up relationship.

Anyways as time progressed, both Bob and Charlene/Willa (Chase Infiniti) settle into a normal life with new identities while Perfidia abandoned her family for more revolutionary antics, got caught and sexually blackmailed by Lockjaw and ended up fleeing into witness protection.

The movie itself focused on Bob's paranoia coming to a head when Willa got herself captured by Lockjaw and it turned out that the latter was her real father. I'll give the movie credit because a relative newcomer like Chase Infiniti held her own in scenes with seasoned actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Regina Hall's Deandra.

Saying that, it didn't stop this movie from being totally off kilter at times, laboriously too long for it's own good with time or even the whole Christmas Adventurers plot fot Lockjaw, which ended in his deserved demise. If there's an upcoming award contender that would've benefitted from a shorter run time, it's this one.

- Benecio del Toro had a decent supporting role as Sergio St. Carlos. I liked him a little more I did Bob.

- Bob was the only person to have a 1G phone that wouldn't have worked in the time period. Of course Willa kept her phone secret from him.

- Standout music: Jon Brion's Bunker Bumper.

- Chronology: Sixteen years passed during the movie. Willa ended up going to a protest in Oakland.

Sometimes you just know when a movie that everyone likes will be a movie that you won't connect with. For me, One Battle After Another was that movie. I knew I wasn't going to like it. I found myself getting increasingly bored as it dragged on and I was relieved when it ended.

Rating: 5 out of 10