Thursday 18 January 2018

Insidious: The Last Key - The scoop and digest

For Chapter 3 prequel and sequel thing, fledgling director Adam Robitel ditches numbering system for subtitle.

Lin Shaye - Elise
Angus Sampson - Tucker
Leigh Whannell - Specs
Spencer Locke - Melissa
Caitlin Gerard - Imogen
Bruce Davison - Christian
Josh Stewart - Gerald

1953, New Mexico, Five Keys.

Young Elise is beaten and locked inside the basement by her father Gerald for claiming she sees ghosts of prisoners executed in the electric chair.

An angelic voice persuades her to unlock a mysterious door, giving a demon called Key Face licence to possess wee lassie.

Audrey (her mother) is murdered and just as Gerald arrives on the scene, Elise returns back to normal.

If he's got the key, then I must have the secret.

2010, California.

Let's stop for a minute.

Why?

Because doing the maths my friend, that is 57 years later.

Yeah so?

Ripley was rescued by a deep salvage crew after spending same amount of time in hypersleep.

You're not suggesting...

(Nods).

Aliens ref? Bullshit - it's coincidence.

Maybe, maybe not.

Now where was I?

Waking from a nightmare, paranormal investigator Elise reluctantly accepts work from a man named Garza, who's experiencing things that go bump in the night at her childhood home.

Shortly after finding a whistle which brother Christian used to alert mummy, a female ghost snatches old fashioned example.

Elise tells bumbling psychic colleagues Tucker and Specs that she previously clocked apparition as a teenager, but fearing another beating from Gerald, kept trap firmly shut and legged it.

At a diner, we meet Christian and his daughters Melissa and Imogen.

Behind basement wall, Elise finds a woman chained up by Garza.

With secret spilled, captor inevitably turns nasty, but Specs arranges for bookcase to kill him.

(Sigh).

Melissa goes exploring and gets fingered by antagonist.

Modus operandi removes voice and soul, sending victim into a coma.

Courtesy of startling convenience, Imogen can also astral project.

Suitcases housing female remains reveals Garza wasn't the only geezer up to no good over the years.

Key Face pops up to say hello and before going back down below, drags Elise into the Further.

Never fear, niece is here.

Led by the spirit of murdered girl Anna, Imogen locates baddie's prison realm, where captured souls are stored inside cells.

Realising that Key Face manipulated Garza and Gerald, Elise is encouraged to knock ten bells out of father, but refuses to comply.

"I'm not feeding you any more hatred demon.  You can fucking starve."

[Stunned silence].

Whoa! Can't believe what I just heard.  Hey Elise, here, this is for you. [Tosses money on cell floor].
Attagirl! I got respect for this kid.  She's got a lot of fucking balls.  Good for you! Don't take no shit off nobody.

Key Face goes to work on Elise, but before soul can be stolen, Imogen throws the whistle which is used to call Audrey.

Get this.

Mother's spirit defeats demon by clouting it with a lantern.

Ha ha ha! Can you fucking believe this shit?

After reconciling with Christian, Elise heads home.

A vision of Darth Maul, err Lipstick-Face Demon looming over Dalton interrupts Elise's beauty sleep and chatting with Lorraine Lambert on the blower sets up events of original.

Enough is enough

I could use many adjectives, but choose only one.

BORING!

I'm not sure how, but I managed to stay awake.

Honestly, running time is that riveting.

Although hideously bad, there are positives.

Lin Shaye gives another strong performance and to a degree, jump scares can be effective.

James Wan's concept was novel to begin with, but franchise has well and truly run its spectral marathon.

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