Although the horror genre has had several iconic films and franchises throughout its history, the Insidious franchise quickly made its mark after its release in the 2010s. Over the years, the Insidious franchise has enjoyed a growing following from its dedicated horror audiences. Besides the success of its popularity and audience, Insidious has had commercial success in every film in the franchise.
Although not among the top 10 highest-grossing horror franchises of all time, the Insidious franchise has grossed $730 million at the Box Office. Besides its scare, a major reason Insidious has been successful has been its interconnected storylines. With the quality of the story, at some point, the lines become blurred on whether the screenplay is original or adapted. To better appreciate the franchise, here’s a closer look at Insidious‘ story by separating facts from fiction.
What The Insidious Franchise Story Is About
Insidious is a supernatural horror series that focuses on a family plagued with demon possessions. It places emphasis on the astral plane/realm, which houses spirits and vile demons looking to escape into the living world. The first movie, Insidious, which had its theatrical release on April 1, 2011, introduced audiences to the Lambert family. The plot begins after their oldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), encounters a mysterious entity in their new home attic. After slipping into a coma with no logical medical explanation, the family returns home and begins to experience paranormal activities. Despite moving to a new house, Lamberts is soon confronted with the truth that it isn’t their homes that have been possessed, but their son, Dalton, is the medium.
Insidious soon introduced audiences to the astral dimension frequently referred to as the Further. The Further is a part of the astral plane, deep within the realm that’s inhabited by the tortured spirits of the dead. Although Dalton has a natural gift for astral projection, unknowingly venturing into the Further, he unwittingly unleashed demons (through himself) into the living world. It’s later revealed Dalton’s father, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), also experienced such possession as a child but had his memories repressed by psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye). After her introduction to help Dalton, Actress Lin Shaye’s character plays a vital role in the Insidious franchise.
As the plot thickens, Josh, although able to rescue Dalton from the Further, is trapped while unleashing an old female demon that plagued him as a child. At the end of the first film, Josh’s wife, Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne), is the first to realize it wasn’t her husband’s spirit that returned. To help viewers with a better understanding of these possessions, two prequels were included in the franchise. Although the first prequel takes place three years before the events of the first film and involves an entirely new family, the Insidious franchise stays true to its story by walking its way back to the Lambert family. Although the post-credit scene in its last film opened the possibilities of a new film in the series, it gave closure to the Lambert family, revealing astral projections have been in the family for three generations.
Is the Horror Franchise Based on a True Story?
Audiences who believe in the astral plane/realm know most of the plot in the Insidious franchise is possible if a worthy medium is available. While skeptics of the supernatural may write it off as creative imagination, believers of the supernatural/ghost realms know it’s a possibility not to be messed with. Irrespective of the audience’s belief inclinations about the supernatural, Insidious is not based on a true story.
However, this doesn’t dispute the fact that there are other horror films/franchises based on real events. Besides, renowned horror director James Wan directed the first two movies in the Insidious franchise. Although Saw wasn’t also based on a true story, James Wan’s The Conjuring was adapted from true life events. This, and the understanding of astral projection, birthed the belief that Insidious was also based on a true story.
What Inspired the Insidious Films?
James Wan directed two movies, Dead Silence (2007) and Death Sentence (2007), three years after he made Saw (2004), his feature film directorial debut. However, Saw‘s commercial success had not only eclipsed that of his next two films but also typecast the young director somehow. Saw had a reputation for its gore and violence, which, although successful, limited the number of people who wanted to work with Wan in the future. He had set out to make a horror film with less violence when the inspiration for Insidious came through.
Wan and Insidious screenplay writer Leigh Whannell were having casual conversations about movies when the discussion about astral realms and projections filtered in. They both agreed it was a horror troupe that hadn’t been explored in the genre. Although James Wan only directed two of the five released films in the Insidious franchise, Leigh Whannell stayed on as a story/screenwriter and also directed one of the films.
The Best Order to Watch the New Insidious Films
As of 2023, five films in the Insidious franchise have been released. Since the first film’s release in 2010, the franchise has had two sequels and prequels. While it may seem logical to begin with the prequels, the best order to watch the Insidious franchise is chronological, based on their theatrical releases. Insidious (2010) sets the stage for the entire franchise’s plot. Next is a direct sequel, Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), which continues from the final scene of the first film. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), the first of the prequels, begins like a standalone plot, but like the next released prequel, Insidious: The Last Key (2018), they set a backstory for Elise Rainier. The last film in the franchise, Insidious: The Red Door (2023), was released as a sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013).
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