Watch Insidious in release order: Insidious (2010), Chapter 2, Chapter 3, The Last Key and The Red Door. Chapter 3 and The Last Key are prequels about the psychic Elise Rainier, so story order starts with them, and The Last Key leads straight into the first film. The Red Door (2023) picks up with the Lambert family nine years later.
- Titles
- 5
- Films
- 5
- Watch time
- 9 hours
- Box office
- $744 million
- Avg IMDb
- 6.2
Insidious movies in release order
Here is every Insidious title in the order it came out, 2010 to 2023: 5 films.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insidious | 2010 | Film | 1h 42m | 6.9 |
| 2 | Insidious: Chapter 2 | 2013 | Film | 1h 46m | 6.6 |
| 3 | Insidious: Chapter 3 | 2015 | Film | 1h 37m | 6.1 |
| 4 | Insidious: The Last Key | 2018 | Film | 1h 43m | 5.7 |
| 5 | Insidious: The Red Door | 2023 | Film | 1h 47m | 5.5 |
Insidious timeline: movies in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
| # | Title | Set in | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insidious: Chapter 3 | A few years before | 2015 |
| 2 | Insidious: The Last Key | 2010 | 2018 |
| 3 | Insidious | 2010 | 2010 |
| 4 | Insidious: Chapter 2 | Right after | 2013 |
| 5 | Insidious: The Red Door | Nine years later | 2023 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 4 titles here. In release order you start with Insidious (2010); in story order you start with Insidious: Chapter 3, set in A few years before, which came out 5 years later.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Insidious into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
Where to start
Start with Insidious and go in release order.
The whole thing is 9 hours. At two hours a night that is about 5 evenings.
The three highest rated: Insidious (6.9), Insidious: Chapter 2 (6.6), and Insidious: Chapter 3 (6.1).
Every Insidious movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 2010 · Film · 1h 42m · 3rd in story order
Insidious
A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.
Why it matters: The Lamberts' son is lost in the Further; the place to start.
- Starring
- Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lin Shaye
- Director
- James Wan
- Box office
- $100 million on a $2 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 66%
No. 02 · 2013 · Film · 1h 46m · 4th in story order
Insidious: Chapter 2
The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.
Why it matters: Picks up right after the first film.
- Starring
- Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lin Shaye
- Director
- James Wan
- Box office
- $162 million on a $5 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 38%
No. 03 · 2015 · Film · 1h 37m · 1st in story order
Insidious: Chapter 3
A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family that reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.
Why it matters: Elise Rainier before the Lamberts; a prequel.
- Starring
- Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, and Dermot Mulroney
- Director
- Leigh Whannell
- Box office
- $120 million on a $10 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 55%
No. 04 · 2018 · Film · 1h 43m · 2nd in story order
Insidious: The Last Key
Parapsychologist Elise Rainier and her team travel to Five Keys, NM, to investigate a man’s claim of a haunting. Terror soon strikes when Rainier realizes that the house he lives in was her family’s old home.
Why it matters: Elise's past; ends right where Insidious begins.
- Starring
- Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, and Angus Sampson
- Director
- Adam Robitel
- Box office
- $173 million on a $10 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 34%
No. 05 · 2023 · Film · 1h 47m
Insidious: The Red Door
To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh Lambert and a college-aged Dalton Lambert must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family's dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.
Why it matters: Josh and Dalton, nine years later.
- Starring
- Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, and Sinclair Daniel
- Director
- Patrick Wilson
- Box office
- $189 million on a $16 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 40%
Insidious box office and budgets
The 5 Insidious films with reported numbers have grossed $744 million worldwide on about $43 million in combined budgets, roughly 18 times what they cost. The biggest is Insidious: The Red Door at $189 million, 25% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Insidious: The Last Key ($173 million) and Insidious: Chapter 2 ($162 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Insidious, which made 67 times its $2 million budget. The weakest was Insidious: The Red Door at 12 times its $16 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Insidious movies
Across 5 rated titles, Insidious averages 6.2 on IMDb. The top of the list is Insidious at 6.9, then Insidious: Chapter 2 (6.6) and Insidious: Chapter 3 (6.1). At the bottom: Insidious: The Red Door (5.5) and Insidious: The Last Key (5.7). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Insidious: The Red Door, is only the 5th best rated.
- Insidious6.9 · RT 66%
- Insidious: Chapter 26.6 · RT 38%
- Insidious: Chapter 36.1 · RT 55%
- Insidious: The Last Key5.7 · RT 34%
- Insidious: The Red Door5.5 · RT 40%
Who appears in the most Insidious movies
Lin Shaye leads with 5 appearances as Elise Rainier, ahead of Leigh Whannell (4) and Angus Sampson (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lin Shaye | Elise Rainier | 5 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) |
| Leigh Whannell | Specs | 4 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Last Key (2018) |
| Angus Sampson | Tucker | 4 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Last Key (2018) |
| Patrick Wilson | Josh Lambert | 3 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) |
| Rose Byrne | Renai Lambert | 3 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) |
| Ty Simpkins | Dalton Lambert | 3 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) |
| Andrew Astor | Foster Lambert | 3 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) |
| Steve Coulter | Carl | 3 | Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) |
| Barbara Hershey | Lorraine Lambert | 2 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) |
| Corbett Tuck | Nurse Adele / Doll Girl #2 | 2 | Insidious (2010) to Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) |
Insidious directors and creators
4 filmmakers have directed or created Insidious; James Wan has the most, with 2.
- James WanInsidious (2010) and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
- Leigh WhannellInsidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
- Adam RobitelInsidious: The Last Key (2018)
- Patrick WilsonInsidious: The Red Door (2023)
How long it takes to watch every Insidious movie
All 5 titles add up to 9 hours. That is about 5 two-hour evenings, or 1 days of ten-hour binges. The longest film is Insidious: The Red Door at 1h 47m.
The 4 best rated films: Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, Insidious: Chapter 3, and Insidious: The Last Key.
Everything takes about 9 days.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Insidious movies in?
Watch Insidious in release order: Insidious (2010), Chapter 2, Chapter 3, The Last Key and The Red Door. Chapter 3 and The Last Key are prequels about the psychic Elise Rainier, so story order starts with them, and The Last Key leads straight into the first film. The Red Door (2023) picks up with the Lambert family nine years later.
How many Insidious movies and shows are there?
There are 5 titles in the Insidious franchise: 5 films and 0 series, released from 2010 to 2023.
How long does it take to watch all the Insidious movies?
About 9 hours for all 5 titles, counting every episode.
What is the first Insidious title in chronological order?
Insidious: Chapter 3, set in A few years before. In release order the first is Insidious (2010).
What is the best Insidious movie?
By IMDb score, Insidious (2010) at 6.9, followed by Insidious: Chapter 2 at 6.6.
What is the highest-grossing Insidious movie?
Insidious: The Red Door (2023), with $189 million worldwide. Insidious films have made $744 million in total.
Who has appeared in the most Insidious movies?
Lin Shaye, in 5 of them as Elise Rainier.
What is the longest Insidious movie?
Insidious: The Red Door, at 1h 47m.
Keep reading
RecapInsidious recap: the story so far5 titles recapped
Skip guideWhat can you skip in Game of Thrones?2 titles you can skip
RecapChainsaw Man recap: the story so far2 titles recapped
Watch order guideHow to watch the One Piece movies in order8 titles · 498 hours
Skip guideWhich Star Wars movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip
Watch order guideHow to watch the Star Trek movies in order26 titles · 735 hours