Elise Rainier

Lore & Background

Elise Rainier grew up in Five Keys, New Mexico, with her parents, Audrey and Gerald, and her brother, Christian. As a child, she was frightened by a spirit in her bedroom. After her father did not believe her story, he beat her and locked her in the basement. There, she found a mysterious red door and opened it, inadvertently releasing a demonic spirit known as "Keyface," who killed her mother, Audrey. Decades later, Elise works as a paranormal investigator with her colleagues, Specs and Tucker. When a man named Ted Garza calls about paranormal activity at his house, Elise realizes it is her childhood home and departs to help him. While investigating, she finds Christian's lost whistle, which disappears again after she encounters a female spirit. Elise reveals to Specs and Tucker that she had seen that spirit before when she was a teenager, and that she later ran away to escape Gerald's abuse, abandoning Christian. Later, Elise discovers that her father, Gerald, had also kidnapped women and held them in a secret room in the basement, and that Keyface had been controlling both Gerald and Ted, feeding on the fear generated by the women they kidnapped. In the Further, Keyface tries to coerce Elise into hurting her father's spirit as revenge, but she refuses to feed Keyface any more hatred. Keyface stabs Melissa, but Elise blows Christian's whistle and her mother Audrey's spirit arrives, vanquishing Keyface. Elise makes amends with her mother's spirit and reconciles with Christian. Later, Elise receives a call from a woman named Lorraine, who needs Elise's help again for her grandson, Dalton.

In Their Own Story

In 1953, Elise Rainier lives in Five Keys, New Mexico, with her parents, Audrey and Gerald, and brother, Christian. Elise and Christian are frightened by a spirit in their bedroom, and Christian loses a whistle their mother gave him to call for help. Not believing Elise's story, Gerald beats her and locks her in the basement. Elise finds a mysterious red door and opens it, inadvertently releasing a demonic spirit known as "Keyface," who kills Audrey. Decades later, Elise works as a paranormal investigator with her colleagues, Specs and Tucker. A man named Ted Garza calls, saying he has been experiencing paranormal activity at his house. Realizing it's her childhood home, Elise departs to help him. While investigating, she finds Christian's lost whistle, but it disappears again after she encounters a female spirit. Elise tells Specs and Tucker that she had seen the spirit before when she was a teenager. She later ran away to escape Gerald's abuse, abandoning Christian. The three then meet Melissa and Imogen, Christian's daughters, and learn that he is still furious at Elise for abandoning him. Hoping to repair their relationship, Elise gives Melissa a photo of the whistle to show Christian. That night, Elise and Tucker discover a hidden room in the basement of the house containing a young woman Ted kidnapped. Ted attacks them, but Specs manages to kill him in self-defense. After police clear the house, Christian and his daughters go inside to find the whistle. Melissa is attacked by Keyface, who sends her into a coma with her consciousness now stuck in the spirit realm of the Further. Trying to save Melissa, Elise searches the house and discovers hidden suitcases containing belongings of numerous other women who had been held prisoner, including the young woman she had seen as a girl. Elise realizes that like Ted, Gerald had also kidnapped women and held them in the secret room. The woman she saw as a teenager, Anna, was actually alive and trying to escape from her father. Elise is ambushed by Keyface and her spirit taken into the Further. Specs and Tucker help Imogen, who possesses abilities like Elise's, enter the Further. Imogen is led by Anna's ghost into a prison realm where Keyface is holding all of the souls he has taken, including Melissa and Elise. Elise realizes Keyface had been controlling both Gerald and Ted, and fed on the fear generated by the women they kidnapped. Keyface tries to coerce Elise into hurting her father's spirit as revenge for what he has done. Elise starts beating Gerald, but is stopped by Imogen and refuses to feed Keyface any more hatred. Keyface captures Imogen's soul and then attacks Elise, but Gerald tries to save her before he is stabbed by Keyface, his spirit vanishing. Keyface stabs Melissa, causing her physical body to convulse, then flatline. He attempts to possess Elise but Elise blows Christian's whistle and Audrey's spirit arrives, vanquishing Keyface. Audrey helps Elise, Melissa and Imogen escape the Further. While searching for the way, they open a door and see a young boy, Dalton Lambert, in his attic. Realizing they opened the wrong door, they finally managed to escape, inadvertently leaving the door to Dalton open. Melissa's spirit returns to her body in the real world, saving her life. Elise makes amends with her mother's spirit and she and Imogen return to their own bodies. Christian and Elise reconcile. Later, Elise receives a call from a woman named Lorraine. Elise had helped her son years earlier, and now she needs Elise's help again for her grandson Dalton.

Reader's Guide

Elise Rainier is the central character of *Insidious: The Last Key*, the fourth installment in the *Insidious* franchise and the second in the chronology of the story running through the series. She is portrayed by Lin Shaye. The film follows Elise as she investigates a haunting in her childhood home in Five Keys, New Mexico. She works alongside her colleagues, Specs (Angus Sampson) and Tucker (Leigh Whannell). Key events in the film include: Elise discovering that her father Gerald had kidnapped women and held them in a secret room in the basement; Elise being taken into the Further by the demon Keyface; Elise refusing to feed Keyface hatred by beating her father's spirit; Elise blowing Christian's whistle to summon her mother Audrey's spirit, who vanquishes Keyface; and Elise reconciling with her brother Christian. At the end of the film, Elise receives a call from a woman named Lorraine, who needs her help for her grandson Dalton, setting up a connection to the first film.

Did You Know?

• Elise Rainier is played by Lin Shaye in *Insidious: The Last Key*.
• The film is the second prequel to *Insidious* (2010) and *Insidious: Chapter 2* (2013).
• Elise inadvertently released the demon Keyface as a child by opening a mysterious red door in the basement of her childhood home.
• Elise's mother Audrey's spirit arrives to vanquish Keyface after Elise blows Christian's whistle.
• At the end of the film, Elise receives a call from a woman named Lorraine, who needs her help for her grandson Dalton.