Inheritance (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – When Maya learns her father Sam was once a spy, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an international conspiracy.

My Take – While spy thrillers have been available to us dime a dozen, but owing to the massive success of the James Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises, for the past decade or so, the sub-genre has mostly relegated to hyper-action blockbuster events for the big screen. Allocating the old-school ‘sophisticated’ spy craft stories to appear mostly on streaming platforms.

As a fan myself, it is probably a major reason why I relished on this latest effort from writer-director Neil Burger (The Marsh King’s Daughter, The Illusionist) which plunges the viewer into a gripping tale of espionage and family secrets, minus the bombast, delivering an exciting international ride with unexpected twists and turns.

However, what truly distinguishes this feature, co-written by spy novelist Olen Steinhauer, is that it is shot entirely on an iPhone, with many scenes staged in public without permits.

An experimental, guerilla-style of filming that helps in immersing the audience into the narrative as we witness the lead, played by Bridgerton‘s breakout star Phoebe Dynevor, navigate through the chaotic and unpredictable world of espionage she has been thrust into. Aligning seamlessly with the film’s high-stakes, amplifying the tension and urgency of each situation.

Sure, the screenplay is at times derivative, and some of the twists, especially the final one, aren’t as unpredictable as the writers might have thought they are. Yet, the film manages to be an exceedingly fun watch for 101 minutes, with its intense chasing sequences particularly being a highlight.

Agreed, a typical film-goer may not prefer to indulge in this mode of production, but with more and more filmmakers, including the likes of Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh, making the switch to great acclaim, director Burger deserves praise by adding on to this gaining movement.

The story follows Maya (Phoebe Dynevor), a sullen young woman living in Manhattan, who spent most of the last year caring for her dying mother. And now since she has passed away, Maya is left grieving and rudderless. Adding on to the mixed emotions is the arrival of her father, Sam (Rhys Ifans), at the funeral. Despite being MIA from most of her and the life of her older sibling, Jess (Kersti Bryan), Sam is remorseful about their loss and wants to make amends, particularly with Maya, owing to their closer relationship in her younger years.

To that end, he offers Maya an immediate lucrative employment in helping him lure foreign buyers into high-end real estate purchases. Though she’s initially skeptical, Maya finds herself on the next plane to Cairo with her dad.

While Sam does grudgingly confirm that he has been involved in laundering money for some dubious characters and has done the occasional espionage work, things take an unexpected turn when he doesn’t return to the restaurant table the two were dining at. Revealing that he is highly sought by major-league players such as the Interpol, as well as some shadier types.

And soon enough, Maya gets the call that Sam has been kidnapped. Threatened with death by unknown abductors unless she can retrieve something they have already paid for, Maya is unexpectedly thrust into a conspiracy that forces her to travel from New Delhi to Mumbai and then to Seoul, even as she is pursued by agents of all kinds.

Here, director Burger rests his attempt on real-world settings and minimal production. The rush, the excitement, the uncertainty, and the disoriented nature of the story makes for an engaging watch. Indeed, there are some missteps with plotting, but the raw, unpolished aesthetic heightens the intensity and adds a sense of realism, drawing audiences deeper into Maya’s journey as she uncovers her father’s secrets.

Most importantly, it comes as welcome relief to see Maya as an ordinary young woman negotiating her way through situations she doesn’t fully grasp, that too without any backup and expensive gadgetry. The extended chase scene through the streets of Delhi particularly being exceptional.

But while the film unfolds as a gripping action thriller centered on espionage, beneath the fast-paced narrative lies the complex and fractured relationship between Maya and her father, Sam. The dynamic adds a compelling emotional core to the story, exploring themes of trust, betrayal, and the weight of family secrets.

As Maya uncovers more and more of Sam’s hidden past and the truth about his motivations, their supposed bond becomes a poignant backdrop to the action and thrills, elevating the film beyond a standard spy flick, giving it a strong human element that resonates very well, even when the final act unlocks predictably.

It also helps that Phoebe Dynevor nails her performance as the troubled Maya. She makes Maya’s struggles and choices relatable as an imperfect protagonist who makes some very human choices, pulling viewers into the action and keeping them engaged every step of the way. Rhys Ifans’ performance is equally compelling.

Though he is mostly seen just towards the beginning and end, Ifans maximizes his role by underplaying it. On the whole, ‘Inheritance’ is an intense globetrotting thriller that skillfully balances high-stakes action with emotional depth despite different technical abilities.