Insidious: The Last Key (2018) is the fourth installment in the Insidious franchise and serves as both a prequel and sequel to earlier films. Directed by Adam Robitel and written by Leigh Whannell, the film follows Elise Rainier (played by Lin Shaye), the gifted psychic, as she confronts her most personal and terrifying haunting yet.
Plot Summary:
The story begins with a glimpse into Elise Rainier’s traumatic childhood, growing up in New Mexico in a house near a prison. As a child, Elise had encounters with supernatural entities, much to the disbelief and anger of her abusive father, who tried to punish her for claiming to see ghosts.
Fast-forward to the present day, Elise is now an experienced paranormal investigator. She receives a distressing call from a man named Ted Garza, who currently lives in the house where she grew up, claiming that it is haunted. Reluctant but feeling responsible, Elise agrees to help and returns to her childhood home, facing the same dark forces that tormented her years ago.
Elise, along with her sidekicks Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), confronts a malevolent entity known as Keyface, a demon that feeds on fear and is able to lock away the voices of its victims. As Elise explores the house, she uncovers deeply buried family secrets and confronts the traumas of her past. The demon Keyface is revealed to have a personal connection to Elise’s own family history, making this investigation more than just another case.
As the story progresses, Elise must venture into The Further—the dark, astral plane where spirits reside—and face the entity that has been tormenting her for decades. Along the way, she discovers that her family has been affected by supernatural forces much longer than she had realized, and the struggle becomes not only about defeating the demon but also about healing old wounds.
