'Insidious: The Last Key' Rotten Tomatoes Score Released

The latest installment in the Insidious franchise, Insidious: The Last Key, is now in theaters and to say that critics aren't thrilled about it is an understatement. After compiling over 50 reviews, the film sits at 24% positive on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

The site claims this latest film "offers franchise star Lin Shaye another welcome opportunity to take the lead, but her efforts aren't enough to rescue this uninspired sequel."

Despite the score signifying the film as officially "Rotten," this verdict might not come as a surprise to many, as only the first film in the franchise is considered "Fresh." The original film sits at 65% positive, while Insidious: Chapter 2 earned 39% and Chapter 3 scoring 58%.

The new installment welcomes back franchise standout Lin Shaye as Dr. Elise Rainier, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet: in her own family home.

Josh Stewart, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Kirk Acevedo, Bruce Davison, Spencer Locke and Caitlin Gerard also star in the film, which was written by Whannell.

The previous installment in the series threw audiences for a loop when they discovered that, despite being called "Chapter 3," the events of the film took place before the original movie. We can assume the timeline shift accounts for this film changing the title formula, as it takes place after Chapter 3 but before the first film. Critic Richard Roeper claims the timeline is one of the more frustrating elements about this new film.

"The Insidious timeline is becoming so murky, even a scary ghost lurking behind a locked door in the basement might give up and say, 'Time out! Am I even supposed to be in this particular story? Who am I haunting again, and what's my motivation?'" Roeper's review for Chicago Sun-Times reads.

Fans of the series may have deduced earlier this week that the film was set to be a disappointment, as the delay of reviews often hints towards a studio knowing they have a dud on their hands. Yet, in the world of horror, a critical dud doesn't necessarily have an impact on box office, as a film can be full of horrifying moments that leave a lasting impact on the audience, despite the overall narrative not deliviering the goods.

Insidious: The Last Key is in theaters now.

[H/T Rotten Tomatoes]