Entertainment

New movies: Insidious: The Last Key and A Woman's Life

Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier in Insidious: The Last Key
Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier in Insidious: The Last Key Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier in Insidious: The Last Key

INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY (15, 103 mins). Thriller/Horror.

Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson. Director: Adam Robitel

IN 2010, James Wan, director of the opening instalment of the Saw franchise, helmed the spooky horror Insidious, which introduced audiences to parapsychologist Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), who has devoted her life to investigating supernatural disturbances and vanquishing unspeakable evil that threaten the lives of innocent families.

The fourth and final film in the series, which unfolds chronologically after the events of Insidious: Chapter 3, brings the terror to Elise's front door as she revisits terrifying events from her childhood.

Elise is ushered back to New Mexico, to the house where she grew up, to explore a reported manifestation of malevolent forces in the building where young Elise (played by Ava Kolker and Hana Hayes at different ages) and her brother Christian (Pierce Pope, Thomas Robie) were terrorised by their abusive father Gerald (Josh Stewart) and bore witness to the grim fate of their mother, Audrey (Tessa Ferrer), who was murdered in the family home.

Flanked by kooky assistants Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), Elise is reunited with her brother Christian (Bruce Davison) and learns that her two grown-up nieces, Imogen (Caitlin Gerard) and Melissa (Spencer Locke), are being targeted by a gnarly demon.

In order to save the people she loves, Elise must dive back into the terrifying netherworld between life and death, and face a relentless otherworldly predator from her tragic past.

Released: January 12

A WOMAN'S LIFE (12A, 116 mins) Drama / Romance. 

Judith Chemla, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Yolande Moreau. Director: Stéphane Brizé

A NOBLE woman discovers that the course of true love is littered with stinging disappointments in director Stephane Brize's handsome period drama set in 19th century Normandy, which is adapted from the novel penned by Guy de Maupassant.

Following her formal education at a convent, Jeanne Le Perthuis des Vauds (Judith Chemla) returns to the idyllic chateau owned by her father Baron Simon-Jacques (Jean-Pierre Darroussin).

She enjoys lazy summer days with her mother Adelaide (Yolande Moreau) and childhood companion Rosalie (Nina Meurisse), dreaming of a fairy-tale romance to sustain her when her parents are gone.

Jeanne hopes that handsome suitor Viscount Julien de Lamare (Swann Arlaud) might be that white knight and the couple eventually marries. However, the cold reality of wifely duties comes as a terrible shock to Jeanne and the marriage founders.

In her hour of need, she seeks comfort in the company of Countess Gilberte de Fourville (Clotilde Hesme) and local cleric Picot (Olivier Perrier), who offers to facilitate reconciliation with Julien.

Released: January 12