It Lives Inside
It Lives Inside
Starring Megan Suri, Neeru Baiwa, Mohana Krishnan, Betty Gabriel
Directed by Bishal Dutta
Samidha (Megan Suri) is a second-generation Indian-American living in a small town, and is just trying to fit in at a school that's otherwise very monochromatic. The only other non-white student at the school seems to be her former best friend Tamira (Mohana Kirshnan), whom she alienated once they got into high school. At home, her mother Poorna (Neeru Baiwa) pushes for Samidha (who goes by Sam) to embrace her cultural heritage, while all she wants is to be a "normal" girl.
Problems escalate when Tamira arrives at school with a blackened mason jar, and starts acting strange. She looks like she hasn't slept in days, she mutters to herself, and she's carrying that jar like it's her child. Sam's teacher Joyce (Betty Gabriel) notices this as well and asks Sam about it, but Sam wants nothing to do with her - until Tamira comes to her for help, leading the jar to break open, and the demon that's locked inside to be unleashed. Tamira goes missing, and the demon - known as the Pishach - starts stalking Sam by isolating her and making her feel more and more alone, using her negative energy to feed itself. Sam feels Tamira is still alive, and sets out to find her friend before the Pishach devours her soul - and Sam's as well.
The Good:
"It Lives Inside" parallels to another successful, well-done horror film released this year called "Talk to Me" in that both center on young adults trying to fit into a world that they're not accustomed to. For "Talk to Me," the main character is struggling with the suicide of her mother which left her feeling a bit isolated before attending a party and taking part in the mummified hand ritual that allows you to communicate with the dead. In "It Lives Inside," it's the cultural divide between white America and Indian-American customs, and Sam is torn between the two. She wants to fit in, and it seems to her mother that she's hiding her heritage because of that. More than just a cheap horror movie, this is about cultural appreciation, and the lengths we go to fit in, because no matter how many times we say it, we all have a deep-seeded desire to fit in.
That's where the Pishach comes in. Much like the titular Babadook, the Pishach seems like a visual representation of loneliness, anger, and resentment. It feeds on these negative energies (much like the Babadook feeds on grief) and eventually claims the soul of the person it's attached to. First-time director Bishal Dutta does the smart thing by not allowing us to fully see the Pishach until the end, because it's always more terrifying not seeing the evil and concocting it in our minds rather than seeing it in some sort of cheesy CGI way (looking your way "Smile"). When we finally do see it, it's a brilliant throwback to practical effects that makes it all the more terrifying.
The film includes numerous Indian-American actors in the main roles, and for most of them it's their first time on the big screen. "Never Have I Ever" star Megan Suri takes center stage as Sam, and she absolutely nails it in her first big-screen role. She balances the desire to fit in as well as caring for her family's heritage wonderfully, showcasing the teenage angst that occurs during that time in their lives. When the terror begins, she fully immerses herself in the experience, giving a believable performance that's not too over-the-top or too bland, but just right.
Neeru Baiwa plays Sam's mother, and she gets more scenery to chew as opposed to other mothers in horror films. She doesn't understand Sam's sudden desire to ignore her heritage, but when push comes to shove, she will stand by her daughter and do everything she can to protect her from the Pishach, as well as help her find Tamira before she dies. Speaking of Tamira, Mohana Krishnan delivers a creepy performance that's also mixed with vulnerability, as Tamira isn't an evil person - she just carries it around in a jar. Seeing the fear in her eyes is soul-crushing, and her own journey is one of self-discovery as well as inner strength.
Then there's Betty Gabriel, best known for playing the creepy Georgina in "Get Out" (the "no," "no," "no," etc. lady) as well as Detective Cortez in the criminally underrated "Upgrade." Here she plays the understanding teacher Joyce, who knows where Sam and Tamira are coming from - as the only African American teacher at the school, she looks out for students who look different. When she gets involved in Sam's plight, she gives a great performance as she's also stalked by the Pishach, and gives an unnerving scene when, after Sam freaks out after seeing it behind her, reaches out slowly into the air thinking she's going to touch something. It's slow and unnerving, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you wonder what she'll find. For a smaller role, she dives all in.
The effects are an effective blend of CGI and practical, showing the Pishach in shadows and darkened rooms before the ultimate full reveal, and while some of the CGI doesn't work well, it's overshadowed by the parts that do. The camerawork is exceptional, as there's several close-up face shots of the characters who react to seen and unseen horror, and the camera flows with the audience like we're a part of the film.
The Bad:
While the beginning and the end are really decent, the middle drags on for a bit too long. It also incorporates other horror films like "The Ring," "It: Chapter Two," "The Boogeyman" and others into its story, matching the beats of these films in ways that leaves little to no room for originality and true scares.
The jump scares fail to illicit any type of scares, at least for me. They're too methodical and well-prepared, where you're just waiting for the eventual musical crescendo to signify a jump scare.
The Summary:
By incorporating Hindu beliefs that hardly anyone outside that community has heard of, "It Lives Inside" introduces us to a newfound horror that's rooted deep in tradition and religion that feeds off negative energy, and is told through the eyes of a new, young, capable cast that delivers the scares despite its formulaic plot.
The Score: A-
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