Amelia Eve, who stars in the upcoming horror sequel Insidious: Out of the Further, has described the film's dentist scene as 'pretty haunting' for her. The sixth instalment in James Wan's franchise arrives in UK cinemas this Friday, with a new director and largely new cast.
New cast and director take the reins
Jacob Chase, known for 2020's Come Play, has taken over directing duties. The film stars Amelia Eve as single mother Gemma, alongside Brandon Perea as her on-screen boyfriend Nick, with Lin Shaye reprising her role as paranormal expert Elise. The previous leads, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, do not return.
In the sequel, Gemma discovers she can travel into the purgatorial realm known as the Further, but unlike earlier films, she realises she can bring what she finds there back into the real world.
The dentist scene that rattled the cast
One of the most unsettling moments occurs in a dentist's office, where an elderly patient with deteriorating teeth reveals himself to be an acolyte from the other side. A snippet appeared in the trailer earlier this summer, but the full scene is far more disturbing.
When asked what rattled her most during filming, Eve replied with a smile: 'The dentist's office I'd say was pretty haunting for me the human.' Shaye added: 'Watching the dailies for that were enough to make you never ever want to go visit your dentist again, it was great.'
Perea agreed, recalling the moment he first empathised with Gemma: 'I think what was haunting for me was honestly reading the first 15 pages and seeing the opening of the film, getting the chills when you first feel for this character.'
A new dynamic for the franchise
With the Lambert family's story concluded in Insidious: The Red Door, Eve and Perea take the lead as the franchise's new couple. Eve said she 'didn't consider' the dynamic Wilson and Byrne brought, instead focusing on Gemma's relationship with Nick. 'He's her only guilty pleasure that she finally gets to be a tiny bit selfish, whereas as a mother, they don't usually afford themselves any opportunity,' she explained.
Shaye, who has appeared in all six films despite her character's death in the first instalment, reflected on Elise's enduring popularity. 'It's sort of unreal to me because I don't think about the character like that, particularly,' she said. 'She's kind of an unattractive middle class woman who has this ability. I still see what, in my heart, is transmitting to the audience that makes her so popular. Needless to say I'm thrilled and I hope to always be able to live up to the expectation of the audience of who she is. I'm happy.'
Director's approach to the sequel
Chase admitted the task of taking on the sixth film was daunting. 'There's been five great movies leading up to this one, so the risk, at least for me stepping into this franchise for the first time, was disappointing fans,' he said. 'That was the thing I didn't want to do and so I worked really hard to make it feel like it really honoured the films that came before it.'
Wan, who handed over control, was happy to 'empower' Chase. 'As Jacob pointed out, there have been five films and it's really hard to keep it going, especially in the context of it being a PG-13 horror franchise, it's hard to keep pushing the boundary,' Wan said. 'So we're all very thankful that Jacob was able to crack this movie and find what was in this that was scary but fun at the same time, that will make people want to watch this film.'
Insidious: Out of the Further hits UK cinemas on Friday.
