Patrick Wilson talks about Insidious 5's unique scares
Patrick Wilson was always looking to direct something, but when it came to the chance for making his directorial debut on Insidious: The Red Door, he didn't initially jump at the opportunity.
"I didn't know if I wanted to feel like I was stepping into the shoes of who I think is two of the greatest creators in Leigh [Whannell] and James [Wan] who have defined horror for me in the past 15 years," he tells Digital Spy.
It didn't take long for him to change his mind though, aware that he'd be surrounded by people who are "the best in the business" and who also had confidence in him. "I felt silly for even questioning myself," Wilson continues.
"It became this great lesson in filmmaking because I was able to be surrounded by people who do it so well. When they have confidence in themselves and in you, then it's a good working relationship."
There's a reason that Wilson was the ideal person to direct Insidious: The Red Door as the new movie brings back the entire Lambert family for the first time since Insidious: Chapter 2. Wilson reprises his role as Josh and is joined by Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne and Andrew Astor as Dalton, Renai and Foster, respectively.
Nine years after the traumatic events of the second movie, Josh and Dalton start to question the gap in their memory. In order to bury their demons once and for all, they must go deeper into The Further than they ever have before to face their family's dark past.
It meant that as well as directing his first movie, Wilson also had a major role to play in front of the camera as Insidious: The Red Door is a father-son story more than anything, with Simpkins in his first leading role as Dalton is a co-lead.
But for Wilson, what was it like working for Patrick Wilson, the actor? "He's a jerk. He's a diva and he kept me waiting a lot," he jokes to Digital Spy.
"I can't say it was seamless all the time. I know that I'm not precious about my performance so I tried to give myself two or three takes and then get out of there. If it felt like I didn't get it, I would watch it back," Wilson adds.
"That was something I encouraged the younger actors to do as well, certainly when they're starting out their career. I don't want them to foster that opinion that a lot of actors have of not been able to watch themselves. I think it's important for actors to be able to do that."
As self-deprecating as Wilson is, his co-stars are full of praise for his work behind the scenes. Simpkins, especially, appreciated Wilson's presence as it marked the latest stage of a long relationship with him.
"I've worked with Patrick where he's played my dad in four different movies now, first time when I was three years old. He's someone that I trust so much [and] when I trust my director and I'm close with my director, it's a lot easier for me to communicate with what he wants or what she wants or what I want," Simpkins explains.
"Everything falls into place and it's a very comfortable experience. But on top of that, it was just so much fun to see him again and to be able to work with him every day and he's a very funny guy."
Lin Shaye – who reprises her role as Elise in the new movie – adds: "Patrick was extraordinary and his new role of him is director was pretty astonishing. He was calm. He was specific. He was able to switch from this to that. He was just great to work with."
And Wilson didn't just make an impression on his continuing Insidious co-stars. Sinclair Daniel plays the biggest new character of Insidious: The Red Door as Chris, Dalton's roommate when he moves to art college.
As a fan of the series, it meant a lot for Daniel that this movie was her first major movie role, and given that she shared a similar background in theatre and TV to her director, it made Wilson the ideal director for her.
"He was very sympathetic to all of my anxieties and really helped me build confidence throughout this process," she enthuses. "I felt like he had really great vocabulary to talk to us as actors, and then also talk to people on the other side of the camera because he's done it all."
Of course, as good as Wilson was to work with on set, there's one thing that Insidious fans are looking for: to be scared.
The first movie delivered one of modern horror's most iconic jump scares when the Lipstick Face Demon appears behind Josh's face. While the following movies varied in quality, they often delivered on the scares. Think Insidious: Chapter 2's church of corpses or the suitcase sequence in Insidious: The Last Key.
Wilson knew the importance of scaring the audience when it came to Insidious: The Red Door, but he was also keen to ensure he wasn't just replicating the same-old scares.
"You're not going to get better than that one behind my face [in Insidious]. It's just not going to happen. I think it's been listed as one of the best jump scares ever. The last thing I wanted to do is try to recreate that," he notes.
"I wanted different kinds of scares because that's what appeals to me. Yes, we've got some jump scares. I also wanted just some eerie moments, some more tonal scares. I wanted to scare in the daytime. I had a scare that almost turns into an action sequence, a little nod to 90s John Carpenter."
With Insidious: The Red Door just around the corner, fans will soon be able to decide whether Wilson delivered on these scares and whether, despite his initial apprehension, he really was the best person to end the Lamberts' story.
Insidious: The Red Door is released in cinemas on July 7.
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