All 4 Insidious movies ranked from worst to best

3. Insidious: Chapter 3

Insidious: Chapter 3 takes a step back from the Lambert family and instead serves as a prequel, taking place a few years before the events of the first movie. Lin Shaye reprises her role as Elise Rainier, and this time around Leigh Whannell serves as the writer and director. The film follows a teenage girl named Quinn Brenner, who tries to contact her late mother’s spirit. Unfortunately, while doing so, she summons evil entities who want to harm her.

The third movie introduces a new cast of characters, including Stefanie Scott as Quinn and Dermot Mulroney as her father Sean. Some of the high points in this installment are the creepy entities that Quinn encounters, as well as further exploration of The Further. We learn more about the dimension, however I wish the movie could dig deeper into its history.

I hate to say it, but Insidious: Chapter 3 just isn’t memorable. It relies too heavily on overused horror tropes and doesn’t have enough originality. Although it’s always great seeing Shaye on our screens, her inclusion doesn’t make up for the lackluster storyline and poor development of the other characters we meet.

The franchise tries to do something different with the third movie being a prequel story, which we appreciate, but it doesn’t stick the landing. That said, Insidious: Chapter 3 was still a box-office success and was enough to warrant another entry in the franchise.