FITTING IN CAN BE SCARY
‘IT LIVES INSIDE’ IS A SMART AND INNOVATIVE DEBUT HORROR MOVIE ABOUT CULTURAL DISCONNECTION AND ASSIMILATION
‘It Lives Inside” opens with an unnerving sequence. Hot red lights and dark hallways lead to an immolated body lying on a basement floor. There are no clues as to what we are seeing or how it will fit in with the rest of the film. Screams mix with a building score until the tension is finally broken with a title card.
Written and directed by Bishal Dutta, “It Lives Inside” is carried by innovative horror imagery, a well-constructed script and great central performances that hold the emotional heart of the story. Samidha (Megan Suri) is a high schooler living in Los Angeles. She struggles with the usual problems of an American teenager: trying to pass her driving test, courting the cute boy in her English class, fitting in with the popular girls. Samidha (or Sam, as her nonIndian friends call her) is also the child of immigrants. Throughout the film, she deals with the divergent cultural influence of her friend group and her parents. Tamira (Mohana Krishnan) is a classmate of hers who begins acting strangely and carrying around an ominous-looking Mason jar. It’s up to Samidha to figure out what’s going on with Tamira and whether something sinister may be lurking inside her.
These two young actresses are the film’s secret weapons, especially Suri, who is asked to do a lot here yet never fails to impress. She’s great both as a romantic lead and as someone who must endure what turns out to be a supernatural attack. The film hinges on her ability to provide context for the stories of a number of supporting characters, and Suri does just that.
Krishnan has an easier task but is equally well equipped. Their scenes together are gripping, and when they’re both on screen, it’s difficult to look away.
The supporting cast delivers small but impactful performances, particularly Vik Sahay and Neeru Bajwa, who as Samidha’s father and mother provide emotional
‘It Lives Inside’ Rating: PG-13 When: Opens today Where: Wide release Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes
warmth and weight.
Dutta’s screenplay expertly blends the lived reality of Indian immigrants with the classic structure of a summer horror flick. The character of Samidha is simultaneously specific and universal. Anyone who has struggled to find friends and maintain connections through their teen years will be able to relate to her story. The tree-lined streets and high school hallways evoke classics of the high school movie genre, while the dynamics of an Indian immigrant family in suburban Los Angeles are wholly original. Dutta’s story doesn’t just combine elements but elevates them, using a familiar trope — the demonic entity — as a metaphor for cultural disconnection and assimilation.
“It Lives Inside” is not without flaws: The middle third of the film is poorly paced; horror gimmicks that initially shock are, at times, overused; and the visuals can sometimes feel two-dimensional and bland. But none of that ultimately matters. The scares work when they need to, and the most important sequences are well shot and dynamic.
Most surprising? This is Dutta’s first feature. Like other recent horror debuts — “Skinamarink,” “Talk to Me,” “Barbarian” and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” — “Inside” heralds a unique voice in the genre. It’s an exciting time for horror, and “It Lives Inside” is a great addition to an unfolding new canon. Whatever Dutta or the directors of those other films do next, this reviewer will be first in line.