Above: Patrick Wilson directs and stars in "Insidious: The Red Door." (Photo/Screen Gems)

It’s funny how much traction a fictional story can generate. And make no mistake, the back story to the “Insidious” franchise is pure fiction.

But some people get a thrill out of thinking that the events featured in the movies – “Insidious” (2010), “Insidious: Chapteer 2” (2013), “Insidious: Chapter 3” (2015) “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018) and now “Insidious: The Red Door” (opening Friday) – really did occur.

And the filmmakers, especially Leigh Whannell – creator, screenwriter of all four films and the director of “Chapter 3” – obfuscate things by claiming that while the characters are fictional the stories are not.

People told shared their stories, so they have to be be real. Right?

Whatever. The latest installment is directed by and stars Patrick Wilson. The screenplay is by Scott Teems (from a story by Whannell), and the cast includes such returnees as Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins and Lin Shaye.

Here’s what the critics are saying …

… oh, right, as of yet no credible critics have published their reviews. I wonder why. For comparison, here are some comments about “The Last Key”:

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: “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?’”

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times: “ ‘Insidious: The Last Gasp’ might have been a more appropriate title for the fourth and potentially final entry in this lucrative, once-diverting property.”

Emily Yoshida, New York Magazine: “The fourth installment of Leigh Whannell's ghost-and-mediums horror series wraps up its own free-association illogic with an impenetrable tangle of woo-woo spirit-world mechanics and lingo.”

Ouch. Sounds like someone has been beating a dead spirit.