Writer: Leigh Whannell
Director: Adam Robitel
When Elise Rainier (Shaye) receives a call from someone in New Mexico regarding the supernatural events going on in his home, she is forced to confront the demons of her past - literally - as the property happens to be the house in which she grew up.
The fourth outing in the Insidious series (which is actually the second one chronologically) is something of a frustrating one in that there are some great moments and ideas which are ultimately sunk in the swamp of a so-so horror outing which has a distinctly ghoulish premise but would generally rather startle you with SUDDEN VERY LOUD NOISES.
This is particularly disappointing because the prologue, set in 1953 and featuring a young Elise dealing with demons both in this world and beyond, delivers on the suspense and the intrigue despite the fact even so early in the piece it can't resist that whole quiet-quiet-quiet-BANG shtick. These first fifteen minutes promise much so it's annoying that the remaining eighty-odd don't measure up.
Again, it's wonderful to Lin Shaye front and centre once more and as usual she's the most interesting and entertaining thing in as Insidious flick. She doesn't get to kick quite as much phantom arse as in the previous outing but she's still a shrewd, able heroine who can show her much younger colleagues a thing or two. Also, as the custodian of the film's single f-bomb, she drops that with relish.
On the subject of her much younger colleagues, Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson return as Specs and Tucker respectively. As before, they're on hand to carry the equipment, watch Elise on video as she wanders around darkened, spirit-filled rooms and to swap awkward banter. Regrettably, the numerous attempts at lightening the proceedings with humour land only sporadically, with one running gag about the attractiveness of Elise's nieces proving more unpleasant and creepy than some of the ghosts on display.
The story switches between the present day and historical action efficiently enough and provides yet more pleasing backstory for Elise but as far as the scares go this seems to be going through the motions for much of its running time and waiting for the next apparition to lunge into the frame eventually begins to grate.
Thankfully, this approach is ditched for the final battle with the big bad although this also doesn't thrill as it should. The evil in this tale - referred to as KeyFace in the imdb character details - is a reasonably menacing presence and there's an excellent sequence where it crawls from the shadows towards a stricken victim. However, there's something oddly unscary about the creature when it's unveiled in all of its detail and the ultimate face-off degenerates into a slightly silly spectral smackdown rather than a battle of wills and wits.
Insidious: The Last Key shows all too often that it's the latest movie in a franchise and although it closes with a decent nod to the first Insidious outing (which is actually the third one chronologically) it brings very little to the poltergeist-shifted table that's new. Lin Shaye deserves better and you do too.
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