‘Insidious: Out of the Further’ Writer-Director Jacob Chase Knows the Audience Is Asking, ‘Why Are We Still Making These Movies?’ So He Was Determined to Make a ‘Fresh Start’
The sixth Insidious film, releasing Friday through Sony Pictures, attempts to revitalise a franchise that director Jacob Chase himself recognises has become bloated. Rather than continue established patterns, Chase reimagined the premise with a central character who can retrieve supernatural entities from The Further, giving the story fresh thematic territory whilst remaining connected to the existing universe. Chase's candid acknowledgment that the franchise had reached saturation informed his core creative directive: make this feel like an original work that happens to carry the Insidious name.
Chase's distinctive horror perspective emerged from his prior work building Bigworm Sherwood Scare, a sprawling charity haunted attraction he operated in California between 2012 and 2014. By observing live audiences navigate the experience, he developed an intuitive understanding of how fear mechanics operate—which corners triggered unease, where misdirection proved effective, and how to exploit psychological expectations. He now applies those lessons to cinema, using camera placement and editing to psychologically guide viewers through emotional beats much as the physical maze guided visitors through architectural spaces.
- The sixth Insidious film aims to distinguish itself as a fresh departure rather than a formulaic sequel, with director Jacob Chase openly acknowledging that five previous entries represent franchise saturation
- New protagonist Gemma possesses an altered supernatural ability—bringing demons back from The Further realm—creating a narrative shift from previous films in the series
- Chase's approach to filmmaking draws from his experience operating a large-scale charity haunted attraction, where observing live audience reactions taught him how to construct and misdirect fear