Insidious: The Last Key

“Insidious: The Last Key” is the fourth installment of the “Insidious” franchise, which serves as a prequel and a sequel. A sequel to the third film and a prequel to the first and second films. The film opens up with a flashback to a young Elise (one of the series’ protagonists—the woman killed in the first film). She is shown to be abused by her prison-warden father due to her “gift” of continually seeing ghosts and communicating with the dead. This flashback is quickly revealed to be a nightmare that a much older Elise is having. Elise is now a demonologist and parapsychologist who runs her business of combating spirits and demonic forces. She receives a call from someone who is living in the house that she grew up in as a child and is being haunted by its ghosts.

The film doesn’t have the classic horror vibe that the first two movies delivered. It comes off as more modern and rushed and not as painstakingly consistent as the first two films. The lead actress Lin Shaye (Elise) gives an adequate performance—nothing remarkable, but agreeable and true to the character established throughout the franchise. The remainder of the cast is very much as they were in the other films.

There is a plethora objectionable occultic content, starting with the film’s very unbiblical concept of ghosts and spirits lingering after death and the paranormal ability to communicate with the dead, the unrealistic depiction of demons and powers, and the depiction of communicating with demons as being a paranormal “gift.” Biblically-speaking, this movie is filled with dangerously wrong information. What is true is that a man or woman only physically dies once and then faces judgment.

Another unsettling part of the movie is when a character hands Elise a Bible and she ever so briefly scoffs at it. This revealing action sums up what’s wrong with the movie—very unbiblical principles, ideas and themes run rampant throughout the “Insidious” film universe.

There is very scary imagery throughout the film—dark creatures and beings with great strength that cause harm to humans. A young girl is shown being possessed, and a girl is shown being beaten by her father. Such dark themes are throughout the film, and are hard to shake after leaving the theater and are unfortunately devoid of what most are looking for in a horror film.

I consider myself a fan of the franchise because of the vintage horror angle. However, this film is very dark, and the subject matter is truly not for Christian viewing. It takes wholly unbiblical concepts and attempts to manifest them as a working reality in this sinful world.

• Violence: Very Heavy to Extreme
• Profane language: Moderate—“Oh my G*d” (2), “My G*d” (1), “G*d” (1), “h*ll” (1)
• Vulgar/Crude language: Heavy—“f**king” (1), “son of a…” (not finished)
• Nudity: Mild— • captive woman only wears a slip • young women with low cut tops • female spirits with wispy coverings
• Sex: Moderate— • guys ogle young women • a kiss

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Christian Spotlight reviews are those of the reviewers themselves, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Christian Answers.