.Horror season is upon us and we got another franchise treat from Blumhouse and James Wan in the “final installment” of the Sinister family, The Red Door.
This had a different feel to it than most supposed final chapters in that it spent a lot of time, and scenes, tying in the first two movies with the Lambert family. Patrick Wilson, who plays the dad, Josh, had his directorial debut and it was important to him to bring the first two movies into it.
In this last chapter of the franchise, Dalton, the son who was the possessed little boy in the first movie, is a teen interning his first year of college as an art student. The renowned art instructor demands her students reach into memories and create from there and this causes Dalton’s forgotten memories of his past to be shaken to an awoken state. At the same time this is happening, Josh is experiencing some awakening memories as well as finding out some history about his father, whom he was told left him when he was a child.
It didn’t not take long before we got our first jump scare and it was like a chain reaction from there out. I stopped counting after five really good ones.
This story was a bit underwhelming in the manner in which they were able to stop these undead/demons from terrorizing their family. As I said, the jump scares were incredible and the practical effects/make up on the Man with Fire on his face, the demon, were very dark and creepy.
On a side note, I find it confusing as to why Astral projection necessarily is able to go into this “Further”, a completely different realm or dimension. That is not explained on the first movie very well and isn’t revisited here.
I thought the acting was superb. I’m a big fan of Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins was excellent as a grown Dalton.
With the after credit scene, which is not overwhelming, does leave an opening for more to come, if they decide this isn’t really the final chapter after all.
While it is worth the price of admission but not close to the best horror I’ve seen in 2023.
James Baxter 