Whether or not writer Leigh Whannell, the writer of all four “Insidious” movies, intended it from the get-go, this horror series has become an exploration of the backstory of Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), who has viewed her gifts for seeing, speaking to and confronting the dead as both a blessing and a curse. (Imagine the “Poltergeist” franchise, if it had been about Tangina, the spiritual housecleaner played unforgettably by Zelda Rubenstein.) Making the movies all about Elise turned out to be a smart move, since Shaye brings such a depth of feeling and empathy to each film; it’s been said that horror movies are one of the few genres that where female characters consistently get to be active and interesting, and Shaye’s work in the series — including “Insidious: The Last Key,” the fourth and latest outing — has been the main reason to get enthusiastic about each new sequel. Elise got killed off at the beginning of the first “Insidious,” but the series has managed to keep her alive with prequels and sidequels; “The Last Key” brings the character right up to the events of the first “Insidious,” but that’s not to say that if this one does well, we won’t see more of Shaye in another time-hopping prequel. (Particularly since this chapter gives her a new relative who’s also a poltergeist whisperer.) Watch Video: This movie is, thankfully, much less interested in myth-building than it is in character development, giving us more of a look at where this woman comes from and how her abilities have shaped her life. We open in a flashback to 1950s New Mexico, where young Elise (Ava Kolker, “Girl Meets World”) first realizes her gift for talking to the dead via the spirits of the prisoners being executed in the neighboring penitentiary, where her cruel father Gerald (Josh Stewart, “Shooter”) works as a guard. While he wants Elise to suppress her paranormal activities, her mother, Audrey (Tessa Ferrer, “Grey’s Anatomy”), offers nothing but love and encouragement to Elise and her younger brother Christian (Pierce Pope). Also Read: Tragedy strikes at the hand of a demonic creature who passes between dimensions — much of the “Insidious” saga deals with a purgatory that Elise calls “the Further” — and Elise runs away from home to escape Gerald’s abuse. But in 2010 (when “The Last Key” is set), she gets a call to return to that house to deal with the evil that still dwells there, and in doing so, she must encounter an embittered Christian (Bruce Davison), from whom she has been estranged for decades. Whannell doesn’t break much new ground here — he’s written more shtick than usual for himself and Angus Sampson to play as the sidekicks, clearly to keep himself interested — but he and Shaye have created a fascinating character in Elise, and both of them apparently relish the opportunity to fill in some of the blanks in her backstory. New-to-the-franchise director Adam Robitel (“The Taking of Deborah Logan”) and returning editor Timothy Alverson have fun with the mechanics of the PG-13 jump-scare; there’s one show-stopping scene in particular in which they make you wait for it, and wait for it, and it’s all the more satisfying when it finally comes. Also Read: The scares here are mild and kid-friendly, and there’s virtually no gore. Whannell’s screenplay touches on the idea of humanity being as monstrous as anything that goes bump in the night, but ultimately the worst things that men do here are blamed on supernatural forces beyond their understanding or control. It plays as a bit of a cop-out in a film that otherwise makes some interesting points about the power of love and family in a cold and chaotic universe. Hardcore horror audiences won’t find much that’s frightening in “Insidious: The Last Key” — there’s not even that wonderfully unsettling shriek of violins under the title this time — but as a delivery system for more great work from Lin Shaye, it more than accomplishes its mission. HIT: Representation The demand for more women and people of color in media wasn’t just a Twitter trend, it was backed up by wallets. Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot were the queens of the summer as “Wonder Woman” grossed $412.5 million domestic, while Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” was Hollywood’s biggest bang for its buck with $254 million grossed against a $4.5 million budget. Even indie films reflected this trend, as Best Picture winner “Moonlight” set a studio box office record for A24 until it was broken by “Lady Bird,” the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig. HIT: Diverse Slates Even though Disney remained on top with their stable of franchises, Warner Bros. And Universal were able to keep up with a diverse set of films. In addition to 'Wonder Woman,' WB also released hit horror films like 'It' and 'Annabelle: Creation' and a blockbuster Oscar contender in 'Dunkirk,' while Universal's Blumhouse horror films and franchises installments like 'Fate of the Furious' performed well alongside films aimed for female audiences like 'Fifty Shades Darker' and 'Girls Trip.' Alonso Duralde, TheWrap's lead movie critic, has written about film for Movieline, Salon, MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the podcast and regularly appears on (The Young Turks Network). Senior Programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival, he is also a consultant for the USA Film Festival/Dallas, where he spent five years as artistic director. A former arts and entertainment editor at the Advocate, he was a regular contributor to 'The Rotten Tomatoes Show' on Current. He is the author of two books: 'Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas' (Limelight Editions) and '101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men' (Advocate Books). Insidious: The Last Key. Fear comes home. 03, 2018 Canada, USA 118 Min. Original title Insidious: The Last Key. IMDb Rating 8.5 37 votes. Original title Insidious: The Last Key. IMDb Rating 8.5 37 votes. Insidious: The Last Key 2018 10. The Shape of Water 2017 8.2. Temple 2017 3.7. Hollow in the.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2018
Categories |