Platform:
Borrowed disc from Clermont County Public Library.
Quote:
“No it’s not. This is nothing like being dead. I know. I have seen it. I’ve seen where these things exist. They want what you have: life.”
Synopsis:
All did not go as planned when Josh Lambert tried to retrieve his son Dalton from The Further. Something has followed them back. Now the Lamberts will have to face this new evil without Elise as it tries to tear them apart from the inside out.
Review:
There’s really no way to discuss this film without giving a lot away, so be forewarned of spoilers ahead.
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What I enjoy most about this one is the use of The Further. The way that Josh navigates events from the first Insidious from The Further, revealing that certain things that happened were actually the result of his actions now. Time is much more fluid in The Further, so Josh travels to various moments of his past to find his way back to his body, which is currently inhabited by the Black Bride who has been stalking his way through the other three films up to this moment. The Further in the first movie was dark and creepy, but in this film, they show a bit more how other spirits experience The Further.
Unfortunately, there is a lot about this movie that feels forced. The spirits in this one get a little too much time on screen. What’s worked well in the other films is when the entities are only seen in shadow, in the background, or in quick flashes. Many of the spirits in this one are shown for extended periods in a lot of light while actively engaging with the environment or the characters. As a result, they lose quite a bit of their creep factor.
So, how does this one work when viewed as the final film in the series rather than the second? Let me start with discussing how the movies play when viewed in film order (Insidious, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and The Last Key). When watched in the order that they came out, we essentially get to see flashbacks to characters that we liked. We go from “these are interesting characters” to “Ah, so that’s why they do that”. And it feels exactly that way. Like it’s an answer to a question, which sometimes feels like overkill because they can be answering questions that we didn’t really ask to begin with. Then we have a lot of references to things that happened in the earlier released films that feel like they are forced in for the sake of the filmmakers saying “Hey remember these guys?” This leaves the prequel films feeling like they are just trying to provide ill-developed fan service.
Now, when watched in-universe chronology, the movies take on a very different feel. I didn’t really completely force myself to forget or not think about what would happen later in the series. But I was able to put myself in a place where I just watched and focused on the film that was in front of me. By doing that, I had a completely different experience this time around. What feels like over-developing questions, we just have character development. For example, Specks has a line in Chapter 2 about all the ghosts that he, Tucker, and Elise have seen. In Chapter 2, we’ve really only seen them on ONE case. So, that line doesn’t feel the same when seen in release order as it does in chronological order where we’ve actually seen them take on multiple cases. The back and forth between Tucker and Specks that we see in the first Insidious about who has the more important job on the team is something that works much better when seen in the previous two films. Likewise, seeing the Black Bride prowling through every other film only to finally get the spotlight in the finale plays so much better than just seeing the Black Bride pop in and out of the prequels. It also makes Elise’s death by the Black Bride’s hand at the end of Insidious feel like much more of a blow, and her eventual return in Chapter 2 really does feel like a stand-up-and-cheer moment to see her come back, even if it’s as a spirit.
So where do I put this one? This is one of the weaker entries, but still pretty great, especially when viewed in chronological order for the film universe. So, I would rank them Insidious, Chapter 3, Chapter 2, and then Last Key as the order of the best films in the series. I also highly recommend that you watch them in chronological order (which would be Chapter 3, The Last Key, Insidious, and lastly Chapter 2) rather than release order.
Movie Count:
New = 14
Total = 23
DVD/Blu-Ray Borrow Breakdown: I'm sure this feature is not new to anyone really, but I'll still point out some of the benefits and drawbacks. Let's start with the benefits. Most of the digital titles you find on the Hoopla and OverDrive platforms are going to be a few years old or going to be fairly obscure titles. New release, major motion pictures are going to take a while before they relinquish streaming rights to general public services like these. But the library regularly purchases physical copies of new releases for patrons to borrow. Libraries also offer hold services so that even if your library's copies have all been checked out, you can go ahead and put in a request to be put on a waiting list so that you hold your place in line to borrow that title when it's ready for you. Interlibrary loans also allow you to check out books and movies even if your local library branch doesn't carry the title, so your options are pretty much limitless as long as you have the patience to wait for delivery. The drawbacks to this service are that you do have to pay close attention to due dates. Videos usually have a higher late fee than books, and you have them for a shorter loan period (usually 7 days). One big leg up on borrowing physical copies that the digital platforms have, is that you don't have to worry about late fees because the titles automatically return when your loan period expires. However, if you know that the movie you want is very popular, and you want a little more time with it, you could always shell out the extra $1 to keep it another day. Another drawback is that you are using shared materials. That means that you are at the mercy of the treatment that other patrons apply to the material. Sometimes you get a DVD or Blu-ray that could be scratched (I know that Blu-ray's are supposed to be nearly unscratchable, but it seems that some people have taken that as a personal challenge), or dirty to the point that it skips, or is even unwatchable.
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