This article contains spoilers for “Insidious: Out of the Further.”
Ever since the dawn of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most mid- and post-credits scenes have been used by filmmakers as ways of introducing possibilities (if not making outright promises) for future installments. In addition to such table-setting teases, end-credit material is also a place to find little comedic callbacks or payoffs. The proliferation of both types of credit scenes has spread beyond superhero films, including into genres like horror. In fact, this summer’s “Evil Dead Burn” had examples of both: a mid-credits gag/pay-off (which also hints at a possible sequel) and a post-credits tease.
However, there’s another type of end-credit scene: the one that serves as a conclusion the filmmakers, for whatever reason, believed worked better when separated from the main body of the film. This month’s “Insidious: Out of the Further” contains just such a scene, which appears mid-credits after the film’s main-on-end titles. While the scene could’ve worked fine if it had been included before the credit roll, it makes sense that writer/director Jacob Chase decided to separate it.
Given that the scene depicts the dark fate of the film’s antagonist, Cyrus Lam (Sam Spruell), it’s better as a footnote, allowing the victory of the heroine, Gemma Hall (Amelia Eve), to feel more special and personal. Additionally, while there’s no explicit tease for future “Insidious” adventures within the scene, its placement in the mid-credits could imply that we have yet to see the last of Cyrus. Whether that proves true or not, the scene certainly suggests that the demons within the Further itself will return in some capacity.
In the Out of the Further mid-credits scene, Cyrus goes to the dentist
The finale of “Insidious: Out of the Further” is already eventful enough without worrying about what’s happened to Cyrus. In the midst of trying to undo the creepy cult leader’s plan to bring legions of the dead out of the Further into the real world, either through herself or her similarly gifted daughter, Maya (Island Austin), Gemma manages to transport her house full of Further demons back into the Further. It’s a moment that cleverly nods to the finale of the original “Poltergeist,” which is a huge influence on the “Insidious” series. After the Further demons and Cyrus discover that they’re stuck in the Further once again, the demons turn on Cyrus, who’d promised them freedom, allowing Gemma and Maya to escape back to the real world.
After the main-on-end credits, we see Cyrus find himself strapped into the chair of the Dead Dentist (Jonathan Oldham). Earlier in the film, Cyrus orchestrated Gemma’s visit to this demon dentist to break her down and exploit her ability. Now, Cyrus gets his just desserts, as the Dentist takes a huge, dull drill to the deadman’s teeth. The other Further demons look on, including Keyface, who locks the red door, which once again holds Cyrus captive within the Further. The implication, then, is that Cyrus is going to spend a long, long time at his involuntary dental appointment.
Will Cyrus return? For that matter, will Gemma and friends? So far, the series’ only constant has been the Further-based Elise (Lin Shaye), and we still haven’t seen the result of her investigation from the end of “Chapter 2.” As “Out of the Further” proves, there’s a lot more in the Further to explore.
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