It goes without saying that if a horror movie franchise has over four movies, it’s got to have some good scares to keep us coming back for more. That first Insidious movie back in the day was iconic for its use of jumpscares (you know, that one that nobody could stop talking about) and it’s originality. Leigh Whannell has introduced us to some really wonderfully memorable characters that are captured for the screen by some great actors that keep us involved in the universe. Unlike other movies that fall in this genre of jumpscare popcorn horror of family hauntings, what stands out about Insidious is that it has no focus on religion, but it’s all about family love and also self-assured strength. So kudos to Leigh for making us believe in ourselves (wipes tears). With the new movie just out, it only makes sense to compare some of the horrifying entities that we meet in The Further. So, we’re going to go about this from worst to best based on scare level, memorable jump scares, and of course, abilities or power.
Spoilers Ahead
The Doll Girl- Makes You Jump
At the bottom, we start with Doll Girl because she doesn’t really have a big role in actually scaring Josh or Dalton but just exists in The Further to help us understand more about it. Doll Girl is in the first film of the franchise. She and her family are meant to relive their traumatic deaths in The Further forever. The name Doll Girl, because she and her family have a smiling face at all times, is memorable and quite frightening. She appears to have killed her whole family by shooting them, and they all are dressed in a manner that implies they were alive in the 50s. She’s only on this list because she makes such a huge impact the first time we see her with her unshakably grinning face. Also, considering she killed her whole family, we had to include her.
Sick Kid- Gives You The Ick
A new entry from film no.5. Warning, spoilers for Insidious: The Red Door in this paragraph. Sick Kid is a college student who died at a frat party from a possible overdose. Dalton first sees him in Nick’s room in the frat house. Even though Sick Kid isn’t evil, his character design is quite disgusting. We also get a scene of bodily fluid flowing out of Sick Kid onto Dalton (Drag Me To Hell style), which is very gross, making him a special mention in this list. After all, he’s the first ghost Dalton encounters nine years after his first trip to The Further.
KeyFace- Very Mid Screams
Okay, so KeyFace is higher than the other two because they’re just ghosts, whereas he’s a “demon.” But really, the only ability he has is muting people?! What kind of demon? Anyway, he’s the least frightening among all “Insidious” entities, according to us. In terms of character design, I had a really good laugh when Elise bashed him in the nose with a broken walking stick. While the things he makes the men do are absolutely terrible, he’s still not at the same level as some of the others on this list. Okay, we may have lied about only having the power of muting people, he also locks souls up in his Lair, but Lipstick Demon also has the ability to chain up souls, so… Clearly, we’re not the biggest fans of KeyFace but he’s still more effective than some other entities from other franchises. Also, it is kind of cool that he has a key for a finger. Maybe it’s cuz when he puts that finger through someone’s neck and there’s no blood or gore, he doesn’t come across as super frightening. Plus, he looks like a really old man’s corpse with a bald spot.
The Wheezing Demon- Throw Your Popcorn Jumping
Now The Wheezing Demon, or the man who can’t breathe, is simply an old man who can’t breathe, so he wears a breathing mask. He’s especially horrifying because he has the ability to shapeshift! He forces his victims to commit suicide after possessing them so that he can take them into the dark forever (Old man, why so malignant?). We don’t learn why or how he died, probably from some respiratory issues, but that makes him more terrorizing for some reason. He also makes a wheezing sound, probably where his name comes from. This guy is rather confusing because he doesn’t look like a demon and for a long time while watching Chapter 3, I was wondering if he’s just leading us to a greater demon like in the other movies. He’s also got more abilities and is smarter than all the other entities for sure. He falls a little short in the scare factor in terms of appearance and the things he does.
Fire Face Demon- Sent Chills Down Your Spine
Okay, yes this is an opinionated list but it’s not the Fire Face Demon or Lipstick Demon that kills Elise is it? This is why I think he comes in at number 2. Additionally, while the jumpscares and the drawings are fantastic and make him look like a true force of evil, the rest of his design is a little… weak to say the least. When the whole demon appears, the fear goes away. As any other demon, he lives on pain and fear, the more you’re afraid, the easier it is for him to possess you. He keeps souls in his Lair, where he plays some delightful music and has a sewing machine which he uses to make his puppets. In Insidious: The Red Door, he makes a full display of puppets to remind Dalton of his story back in the day. A very creative demon for sure. He is of course the strongest entity in the Insidious franchise! Also considering he’s the most demonic of the entities in the Insidious universe, he can’t really be defeated, just put away.
The Bride In Black + Michelle- Can’t Sleep Ever Again
The one and only Parker Crane is our best Insidious entity. He’s got a terribly sad backstory. He’s a killer, but he himself has a puppeteer and together they have to be the worst duo of the series, or in this case, the best. So, while it is cheating to put two of these in the number one position, they are the ones that return to our dreams when it gets dark. Parker was raised as a girl by his mother Michelle. Michelle probably had a terrible relationship with Parker’s father, which is why she stops calling him Parker, the name his father gave him. Parker kills Elise after possessing Josh. Michelle also makes him try to kill all of Josh’s family. She does so by telling him he can live longer in Josh’s body by killing people. So, Josh terrorizes his entire family thanks to this duo and ruins his relationship with his family. A ghost that can split you up from your family has to be the worst, no?
Do you agree with our ranking? Are there any demons you’d like to add to this list? Let us know below!
