The Insidious franchise is back this week with a sixth installment, Insidious: Out of the Further. In the series, The Further is a realm filled with ghosts and demons who haunt, torment, and attempt to possess the living. The new film introduces Gemma (Amelia Eve), a woman with the ability to bring demons into the real world permanently, which is a talent of great interest to those in the Further.
Along with the return of series mainstay Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) — a character who died in the original movie but who has kept appearing via both prequels and the character’s spiritual existence beyond death — the trailers and posters for Out of the Further are positioning the new entry as an Insidious: All-Stars or Insidious Avengers of sorts, depicting several familiar creepy faces returning from the franchise’s history.
To get you prepped, here’s a “who’s who” refresher on some of the most prominent and notable ghosts and demons we’ve met in the Insidious movies so far. Keep in mind, though, that a funny thing about this series is how rare it is to get much information on the origins of these spooky Further folk; their greater motivations and potential human beginnings often remain mysterious.
Doll Girl
First Seen In: Insidious (2011)
What’s Their Deal? In her only appearance to date — as witnessed by Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) when he first traveled into the Further — Doll Girl was acting out a murder, shooting down her own family with a disturbing grin on her face. Presumably, she is one of the spirits within the Further who are stuck repeating events from their life.
Any Backstory? No details are given beyond the aforementioned mass murder and the outfits she and her family are wearing, indicating that they are likely from the 1950s or ’60s. But seeing the ads for Insidious: Out of the Further prominently teasing Doll Girl’s imminent return after 15 years especially stands out since she’s only made that single-sequence appearance prior to the new film.
Lipstick-Face Demon
First Seen In: Insidious (2011)
What’s Their Deal? If Insidious has a main villain, it’s this Darth Maul-looking dude, also known as the Man with Fire on his Face or the Red-Faced Demon. In the first and fifth entries in the franchise — 2011’s Insidious and 2023’s Insidious: The Red Door — he seems rather obsessed with taking control of young Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins). He’s clearly a notably powerful entity who appears to have other demons doing his bidding. His striking appearance has made him a go-to figure in the Insidious series, including popping up for final scare cameos at the end of the third and fourth films. And even if you’ve never seen an Insidious movie, you may recognize Lipstick-Face Demon thanks to the meme of him lurking behind Patrick Wilson’s Josh Lambert. Oh, and fun fact: He’s played by Joseph Bishara, the composer of all of the Insidious movies. Can you imagine if John Williams played, like, Watto in the Star Wars movies?
Any Backstory? Given his omnipresence in the series, you would assume we’d know who the hell this guy is at this point, but we really have no details except that he really loves Tiny Tim’s recording of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” a song he plays on a phonograph while sharpening his claws inside his ornately decorated lair. In Insidious: The Red Door, he also plays Tiny Tim’s “Fill Your Heart,” suggesting that in life, he was a true super fan of the eccentric, falsetto-voiced singer… or maybe he is Tiny Tim!?
Long-Haired Fiend
First Seen In: Insidious (2011)
What’s Their Deal? An ominous, malicious mini-boss of sorts in the first two Insidious films — he possibly assists or protects Lipstick-Face Demon in some capacity — Long-Haired Fiend has a bit of a Jack the Ripper look and vibe. The trench coat-wearing fiend silently stalks and attacks the Lambert family on multiple occasions, both within the Further and in the real world via possession.
Any Backstory? Nope, although it’s easy to assume he was probably a seasoned killer in his human days.
The Bride in Black
First Seen In: Insidious (2011)
What’s Their Deal? This veil-wearing old woman is introduced as the malevolent spirit that haunted Josh Lambert as a child and then returns to torment him in the first movie. Ultimately possessing Josh, the Bride in Black then uses Josh’s body to murder Elise Rainier. The second film deals with trying to free Josh from the possession, as he nearly kills his whole family while under the Bride’s control.
Any Backstory? In what was ultimately a major exception for the Insidious series, we actually do get the full story behind the Bride in Insidious: Chapter 2. The Bride was in fact the spirit of the murderous, costumed alter ego of a man named Parker Crane, a serial killer with gender identity issues thanks to his abusive mother. That’s a plot point that feels influenced by the likes of Psycho and Sleepaway Camp… with the same problematic nature too, naturally.
The Woman in White
First Seen In: Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
What’s Their Deal? A fearsome force of nature, the deranged Woman in White rarely speaks, but when she does, it makes an impact… especially when she screams “Don’t you dare!” at the top of her lungs. Notably able to cause major physical damage in the real world, her violent attacks nearly kill several people before she is defeated by the spirit of Elise.
Any Backstory? Yes, because she’s inextricably tied to Parker Crane, given that she was Parker’s mother Michelle in her human life, the horribly abusive woman who caused her son to snap and become a murderer in the first place.
The Man Who Can’t Breathe
First Seen In: Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
What’s Their Deal? Wearing a dirty old hospital gown and a breathing mask, this unsettling ghoul seems particularly drawn to an apartment complex that he’s haunted for a long time. A guy called The Man Who Can’t Breathe sporting a breathing mask certainly seems to hint at a notable weakness, which ends up paying off when his mask is removed, rendering him powerless and defeated without it.
Any Backstory? Despite being the central villain of the third movie with a distinct look that hints at a history as some sort of sickly patient prior to his death, he remains an enigma with zero info on who he once was.
Keyface
First Seen In: Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
What’s Their Deal? He’s got keys for fingers… and yes, that means he really should be called Keyfingers, dang it. Keyface’s actual face is still pretty notable, as it’s skeletal and sunken, while those key fingers are used in effectively disturbing ways. He pushes them into a person’s neck and turns the “lock,” allowing him to silence and control his target; oh, and sometimes he scrapes his key fingers along metal, causing sparks Freddy Krueger style.
Any Backstory? While we learn that Keyface has a long history with Insidious heroine Elise, starting with haunting her as a child and killing her mother in the 1950s, we don’t get any specifics on his origins beyond that.
Who’s your favorite ghost in the series? Let’s discuss in the comments!
