It Lives Inside (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.

My Take – What immediately makes this feature directorial debut from Bishal Dutta a departure from the usual Hollywood horror stuff is how it not only its look at the Hindu mythology and introduces the demon Pishach, a devourer of souls that torments its victims until they’re broken enough for the monster to feed on, but also provides a look into the immigrant experience, the balance between assimilating yourself into the culture into which you live in while keeping true to your faith and beliefs.

Though it definitely possesses distinctive elements that make it worth a watch, unfortunately, the horror doesn’t hit like one would hope.

Co-written by Bishal Dutta and Ashish Mehta, the screenplay struggles when it tries to thread themes of identity through a predictable procession of mostly ineffective jump scares but slightly more effective set pieces, working better when it’s trying to chill rather than shock. Resulting in an above average thriller that straddles two cultures with its story but doesn’t quite break free of horror film clichés.

Nevertheless, it is still a welcome respite from other horror features populating landscapes this time of year mainly as it introduces a promising filmmaker to watch out for. Only if it would have embraced more of the things that make it unique as opposed to trying to fit in with the expectations of the genre.

The story follows Samidha (Megan Suri), aka Sam, an Indian American teenager who simply wants to fit in with the other kids in her suburban neighborhood, particularly, with Russ (Gage Marsh). She resents the Indian customs her mother, Poorna (Neeru Bajwa), dotes upon, despite a more comfortable stance from her father, Inesh (Vik Sahay).

Making things further uncomfortable for her is the former best friend, a fellow Indian American named Tamira (Mohana Krishnan), who has gotten pretty weird lately. Her childhood friend skulks around school like a ghost, hidden behind a curtain of unbrushed hair and cradling a cloudy Mason jar like her life depended on it, not exactly the kind of person that an aspiring popular girl wants on her resume.

Though their teacher Joyce (Betty Gabriel) requests Sam to check up on her, neither of them can foresee the horrific chain of events the confrontation between the two will lead to, specifically what it unleashes.

Here, director Dutta starts off things quite intense, with a creepy prologue as screams flood out of a normal suburban house. Bringing some of his own personal experiences to the film, despite some of the otherworldly instances, grounds the film. The struggles with identity when moving to a new country, while still trying to pay respect to your heritage, is something many immigrants can relate to.

Here we have a protagonist who is not only looking to fit in with the girls at school but is denying who she is to do so. An approach which not only includes denying her Hindu heritage, but also letting go her long-standing friendship with the only other girl in her school with the same cultural background.

Unfortunately, for a film that puts so much effort into its characters’ cultural identities, the film isn’t as good at defining its demon.

The demon sets out to give a hard time to Sam and anyone who might help her and might also be up for eating people, but aside from representing the heroine’s cultural roots it’s hard to see what it’s really doing.

For most of the film though, it’s nearly invisible, a vague shape with eyes glowing in the dark. Its actual form, when we finally get a good look at it is much more effective, almost skeletal, with claws and lots of large, sharp teeth. That form is also rendered with practical effects replacing the CGI used for its more nebulous early appearances.

Of course, telling a story of a flesh-eating demon by working with a PG-13 rating, the film is neutered from the outset but director Dutta’s sleek, menacing atmosphere and efficient use of darkness almost make up for it, his film nothing if not a convincing audition tape for bigger genre work.

His script might falter at times, but it’s in the more specific moments that some character emerges, difficult and unanswered questions surrounding immigrant guilt and cultural reinvention adding much-needed texture to the more rote horror plotting.

Performances wise, Megan Suri and Mohana Krishnan are both clearly stand outs. Neeru Bajwa makes a lasting impression, while Betty Gabriel, Vik Sahay and Gage Marsh are remarkable. On the whole, ‘It Lives Inside’ is a decent horror flick which despite a fresh setup doesn’t quite break free of clichés.