by Christian Grullon, Contributing Writer 

Horror puts on another face this year with director Bishal Dutta’s It Lives Inside, where a supernatural force stalks a group of teens. Samidha (Megan Suri) is a second-generation American born to Indian immigrant parents. She finds herself in an identity crisis, where her mother, Poorna (Neeru Bajwa), is unhappy watching Samidha assimilate away from her heritage, and her popular friends treat Samidha’s ability to speak Hindi like a magic trick.

It Lives Inside showcases cultural mythology and frights to tell Sam’s story and portrayal as a typical teenager. Her mom can be overbearing, and Sam has a crush on a boy (Gage Marsh) at school. Her ex-best friend, Tamira (Mohana Krishnan), looks isolated. Sleep-deprived, she talks to herself while holding a glass jar filled with black smoke.

Tamira’s behavior worries her teacher, Joyce (Betty Gabriel), who tells Sam to help Tamira, or at least talk to her. Predictably, Sam refuses Joyce’s pleas because she does not want to be labeled the “crazy” person of color. She even dismisses Tamira’s story about being haunted by a specter until she accidentally breaks the jar, as the camera zooms in on Sam’s face, highlighting her skepticism.

Dutta wants the film to be a teen movie that’s relatable to the immigrant experience. The mysterious entity that feeds on negative energy is called the Pishach, which feeds on flesh, isolates victims, and messes with their psyche. The film uses that entity to translate to the sense of being an “other” and assimilating to the American culture. Sam doesn’t want to use her Indian name, and she hangs out with her micro-aggressive white friends, while ignoring Tamira. 

Sam barely speaks Hindi and even gets uncomfortable when one of her friends asks her to speak her native language. We learn that the monster has some origins in India, and that it is passed between numerous Indian families, especially Indian individuals who feel isolated. It would have been nice if the film took a deeper dive into the immigrant experience. However, Dutta is more interested in the suburban teen narrative.

Like many teens, Sam wants to fit in so she can achieve social status. One of her friends is killed in her presence, but we never see any consequences. Sam continues to go to class as if nothing ever happened; there isn’t a police presence, no conflict between or anyone in the suburban community. That sequence would have been a golden opportunity to highlight the cultural ramifications that come from being different. 

Although the visuals are alright, they could have been better. Dutta and cinematographer Matthew Lynn use closeups to give the viewer an immersive touch, but they fail to unleash them at the right time. The final sequence between Sam and the monster goes on for too long, losing its rhythm and authenticity.

There are quite a few opportunities that could have been improved in It Lives Inside. The movie should have taken a deeper look into the immigrant experience rather than a typical teen narrative.

Rating: Didn’t Like It

It Lives Inside is currently playing in theaters


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