<Review by: Sailesh Ghelani>

Directed by Adam Robitel. Starring Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Josh Stewart, Caitlin Gerard, Spencer Locke, Kirk Acevedo, Bruce Davison, Tessa Ferrer, Ava Kolker

Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes

It’s very rarely that you find a 74-year-old woman as the lead of a film, which is why even though The Last Key is your typical scary house film it manages to set itself apart.

The second prequel and first sequel in the Insidious series, this one looks like the last in the series at least for this cast. Lin Shaye continues as Elise Rainier, the woman with a special connection to the spirit world as she and her ‘sidekicks’ Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) fight ghosts.

In this one, Elise must go back to her childhood home where a scary family life forced her to run away leaving her brother behind with their evil father. An unfinished vendetta, a reunion and some disturbing truths transpire.

More than scary, The Last Key is disturbing, which is what makes it different and intriguing. There’s a mystery to solve and some psychotic people to deal with making us realise that demons come in both forms: the dead and the live ones.

I found the comedy act between Specs and Tucker a bit strange and at points creepy, especially when the start hitting on some young girls. But the eerie parts of The Last Key are pretty effective. Shaye brings a sort of gravitas to the role, making it more layered than if a younger actor were in the role.

Insidious: The Last Key is unsettling more because of the evils that men do rather than the formulaic ghosts/monsters that we’re used to seeing in these films. It’s worth a watch if you’re okay with experiencing the dark side of humanity outside of the everyday news we’re growing accustomed to.