FILIPINOS are definitely big fans of sinister plots, as the American horror film Insidious: The Red Door became the highest-grossing horror movie of all time in the country.
The hair-raising franchise has always been a box-office hit, and its fifth installment has undeniably maintained the momentum.
It has garnered over P335 million in local sales since its release on July 5, Columbia Pictures Philippines, the film’s local distributor, announced.
“Thank you for making Insidious: The Red Door the biggest horror movie of all time!” it said.
“P335.5 million in [Philippine] box office receipts, and counting,” it added.
It also earned P33.1 million during its opening day, making it the biggest opening day for a horror film in the country.
During its first week, the spine-chilling film raked in P205.7 million from July 5 to 9 on 542 screens in 206 locations.
This makes it the all-time biggest opening weekend for horror films in the Philippines.
Insidious: The Red Door is still showing in cinemas nationwide.
The Red Door at a glance
Directed by Patrick Wilson and written by Leigh Whannell and Scott Teems, Insidious: The Red Door is a mystery thriller film that is a direct sequel to the second installment of the franchise, Insidious: Chapter 2.
The film narrates the petrifying experiences of the Lamberts as Josh (played by Wilson) and his son Dalton (portrayed by Ty Simpkins) regain their memories and the repressed demons of their past suddenly return to haunt them both.
Courtesy: Sony Pictures
Some reviews
Despite the big ticket sales, some netizens expressed dismay as the film allegedly did not live up to their expectations.
On the American review-aggregation website for film and television, Rotten Tomatoes, some reviewers said the film was “a bit formulaic” and was a product of “uninspired creature designs.”
And although the movie “wearily fizzles,’’ some noted that there were some effective set pieces and signature jump scares present in the film.
There were also others who said that the fifth Insidious film is proof that it’s time to “put these demons to rest.”
Courtesy: Rotten Tomatoes
Moreover, British daily newspaper The Guardian said the film’s already bad script has been worsened by half-baked metaphysics and dumbed-down symbolism.
It further said that each scene follows a rote repetition as clichés of studio-horror storytelling cue up the oldest scares in the book.
The only thing that made it compelling to some was the usual horror scene formula where it gets eerily quiet to establish a false sense of security, and then a blurred figure would appear in the background, which somehow became the cinematic equivalent of grabbing someone by the shoulder and screaming “BOO!” right in their ears in an attempt to scare them.
“If these cheap tricks garner a reaction at all, it’s to their suddenness and loudness, a knee-jerk agitation nowhere near as affecting as true, unleaded terror,” it wrote.
Meanwhile, other netizens said they enjoyed the film and that it was a “great way” to conclude the franchise.
