Insidious is back for its sixth instalment, and after the franchise’s recent downward spiral, I honestly wasn’t expecting much. But I can personally confirm that Out of the Further has cemented itself as a top three Insidious movie for me. It doesn’t reach the heights of the original, but there is plenty here to enjoy.

I really like how the film expands the lore of The Further. We’re introduced to new concepts, including the Couriers, who have the ability to bring demons and entities from The Further into our world. Moving away from the Lipstick-Face Demon as the main threat is also a smart decision; after six films, the franchise needs new ideas if it’s going to keep growing. There are still some nice callbacks to the Lambert family and the original films, but this feels like a genuine attempt to take the series somewhere new.

The new entity, Cyrus, has a brilliantly chilling presence, with a great voice and some genuinely creepy moments. I really enjoyed what they did with him, although I did find myself expecting Cyrus to be the big bad we’d see again in the next instalment. Given how things are looking, I’m not so sure that’s where the franchise is heading, which is a shame because I think there’s more they could have done with the character.

And thankfully, Out of the Further is actually scary. There are several sequences that gave me genuine goosebumps, and I found myself gripping the arm of my chair more than once. The dental sequence is properly nasty, while the use of confined spaces creates some fantastic claustrophobic tension. These moments genuinely worked for me.

It isn’t perfect. The story can be predictable, and some of the scares don’t quite land with the impact the film is aiming for. I could see where certain plot points were heading, but at just 1 hour and 46 minutes, the movie absolutely flies by. I was invested in the storyline surrounding Gemma and her daughter, I thought the questions surrounding them were tied up well enough, and I really enjoyed having Elise back in the story.

Overall, I’m happy with this addition to the Insidious franchise. It’s not going to be my horror film of the year especially after Obsession but I was entertained, I got properly spooked, and I enjoyed seeing The Further expanded in a new direction.

It’s no original Insidious, but after the franchise’s recent run, this feels like a welcome return to form.