Clearly 4D experiences are the hot new thing and while it is neat to feel like you’re in a fictional world, there generally isn’t all that much interactivity involved, so it’s a fleeting thrill. The Insidious Into the Further 4D Experience, however, takes a big step in the right direction by pairing the virtual reality component with a physical haunted house.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the films, the series began with little Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins). He has the ability to astral project in his sleep, which means he can leave his physical body and travel to different places in astral form. Trouble is, one night Dalton travels too far and gets lost in a place called The Further, a dark realm filled with the tortured souls of the dead. Sound appealing? Well, that’s where the Insidious experience takes you.

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Image vis Focus Features.

I had the opportunity to visit the traveling event’s Miami location and give it a go and I certainly had more fun with it than most. Again, the large majority of these 4D experiences requires you to sit in a chair with a bulky headset on and watch a video. A portion of the Into the Further 4D Experience is exactly that, but it’s far more exhilarating simply because Insidious is a horror movie. It’s essentially a virtual haunted house. You sit down with Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), she warns you something is coming and then into The Further you go. 


On top of that, the 4D component is also paired with a short but effective walk-through haunted house. The first truck trailer is a waiting room filled with familiar props from the Insidious films. From there, you’re instructed to make your way to your 4D room, but in order to get there, you’ve got to walk down a hallway where there may be things eager to jump out and scare you.

If you’re into the Insidious films and/or haunted houses, the Into the Further 4D Experience is a must. The event’s Miami stop wraps up on Sunday, April 19th, but from there it hits a whole bunch of cities including Los Angeles and San Francisco before making its way to New York just in time for the Insidious Chapter 3 June 5th theatrical release. You can find the complete list of tour dates and locations below as well as a brief video from the experience in which I feel the need to fix my hair and smile for the Fire Faced Demon. If you're down to step into The Further yourself, click here for details on how to get tickets.

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Image via intothefurther.me