Out Of The Further Proves One Thing About The Insidious Franchise

This article contains minor spoilers for "Insidious: Out of the Further."

Where we go after we die, if we go anywhere at all, is the true root of all religions. Sure, finding community through a shared moral standard is what keeps many practicing, but the desire to make sense of mortality and the refusal to accept death as the true end motivated early humans to conceptualize ideas of the Afterlife, souls, continued existence through reincarnation, and ghosts. There will never be any definitive, evidence-based "proof" of an Afterlife, but it sure is fun to think about.

Personally, I hope that James Wan and Leigh Whannell are right, and that the Further — the ghostly dimension where souls are damned to remain forever — is the flavor of purgatory that actually exists. Established in the original "Insidious" movie in 2010, the Further is a dark dimension which was never meant to be seen or experienced by the living. Yet, like the endless labyrinth shown in Kane Parsons' "Backrooms," parts of the Further resemble the material dimension and can replicate environments pulled from memories. 

Throughout the six films of the "Insidious" franchise, Lin Shaye's Elise Rainier has been the major connective tissue — a psychic who has dedicated her (after)life to helping families plagued by the dark forces from the Further. The Lamberts from the first movie seemingly ended their chapter with "Insidious: The Red Door," but we know that Elise, certain members of the Lambert family, and now the generations of women in "Insidious: Out of the Further" all have various abilities to enter and interact with the Further. Elise has shared her knowledge with multiple individuals, and there are undoubtedly others who have done the same. Which means, theoretically speaking, the storytelling possibilities related to the Further are limitless.

Horror is consistently one of the most profitable and prolific film genres, and it has a knack for turning surprise hits into long-running properties, no matter how convoluted the lore becomes. And it's because most horror franchises are built around a singular entity, and justifying how a character like Michael Myers in "Halloween" can exist across nearly five decades is no easy task. Comparatively, a property like the "Final Destination" film series is built around the big bad of Death itself, meaning that as long as you can justify a story about people who somehow dodged their own demise, you're golden. It's why "Final Destination Bloodlines" marked a franchise high despite being its sixth entry.

The "Insidious" movies follow a similar trajectory with "Out of the Further" (itself the sixth entry in its own property). Its new main character, Gemma (Amelia Eve), is not just a Traveler like the Lamberts, but a Courier — someone who can bring objects (or people/souls) between the Further and the waking world. Gemma is certainly not the only person with this ability, so if the franchise wants to move forward with new stories that are completely removed from anything shown in the earlier installments, it absolutely can. 

Show me an "Insidious" movie where someone escapes into the Further because their life in the real world is somehow even scarier. Or one where running to The Red Doors within has become an endurance high. Or a film about a corrupt Courier who is making people vanish in the Further and must be stopped. Hell, give me an "Insidious" movie set exclusively in the Further and show me what the scaries are doing when we're not around! And while I'm talking about the undead...

All of the "Insidious" films are stories about families overcoming the impossible, but they're also home to some genuinely terrifying and instantly memorable undead baddies. The Lipstick-Face Demon, The Bride in Black, The Woman in White, The Man Who Can't Breathe, Keyface, Cyrus, and the other assorted undead creeps (I love you, Doll Girl) are the stuff of nightmares. There's no rule that dictates what these souls or demons look like, which also opens the (red) door to endless possibilities. The franchise has scattered scenes of the damned souls' backstories throughout its movies, so there's even a precedent in place if a future film wanted to explore more of the undead side of things.

And now that we've established through Couriers that the trapped souls in the Further can cross into our world? Let these creeps run loose! Go full "A Nightmare on Elm Street" with it! Why reboot that franchise when you can just expand one that's still got gas in the can?

Moreover, by not having a set, singular baddie forced into constant conversation, and by having no restrictions on who or what can be the core villain, the "Insidious" franchise can continue for as long as those with the IP rights want. And while it remains to be seen how "Insidious: Out of the Further" fares financially, "Insidious: The Red Door" was the biggest horror release of 2023, so there's clearly still a market for these movies. There's no "Insidious" fatigue for this writer, and I know I'm not alone. Take me back into the Further. I'm ready.

"Insidious: Out of the Further" is now playing in theaters everywhere.