An atmosphere of eerie silence unfurls as a camera meanders through a seemingly abandoned, somewhat dilapidated house, revealing motionless bodies littering the hallways. Horrifying cries pierce through a barely open basement door, where a haunting scene of a severely charred body, its arm reaching towards a jar emitting dark smoke, is revealed. This chilling imagery is symbolic, representing the challenges encountered by Indian residents in a predominantly white neighborhood.
Bishal Dutta’s initial feature directorial venture, “It Lives Inside,” melds cultural myths and conventional, spine-chilling scares to weave Samidha’s tale, portrayed enchantingly by Megan Suri. Samidha, or Sam, represents an archetypal teenager with a crush on the school heartthrob (Gage Marsh), a smothering mother (Neeru Bajwa), and a visibly distressed ex-best friend, Tamira (Mohana Krishnan), who seems obsessed with an identical jar from the opening scene.
Concern fills her teacher, Joyce (Betty Gabriel), prompting her to implore Sam to communicate with Tamira. Reluctant to align herself with someone perceived as an “unhinged” individual of color, Sam dismisses the plea. She disregards Tamira's tales of spectral terror until an accidental jar breakage. Tamira vanishes mysteriously, and a gruesomely imagined phantom begins infiltrating Sam’s dreams and targeting those around her. The film ambitiously seeks to blend teenage drama and immigrant allegory but struggles to gel the two narratives seamlessly.
The film introduces a creature known as a Pishach, reminiscent to some of “The Babadook,” insomuch as they both seek to isolate and psychologically torment their victims. Originating from Hindu and Buddhist myths, the Pishach serves as a metaphor for the corrosive impact of isolation on mental health, reflecting the universal narrative of how ostracization can drive divisive behavior. This creature becomes a symbol of the ethnic and cultural isolation felt by Black and Brown individuals within a white-majority environment. For example, Sam opts for an anglicized name, associates with subtly racist white peers, distances herself from Hindi, and keeps friends away from her home. These choices, often leading to conflicts with her more traditional mother, showcase the typical generational and cultural rifts found among immigrant families.
The narrative could have benefited by more deeply exploring these themes of assimilation, similar to what was achieved in Remi Weekes’ “His House.” Dutta does hint at such exploration, revealing the monster might trace its roots back to India and has plagued various Indian families feeling similarly isolated. However, Dutta veers toward developing a not entirely effective suburban teen narrative instead.
Sam’s desire to assimilate stems, as it does for many teens but perhaps more acutely for those facing potential cultural backlash, from a wish for social acceptance. However, when a peer is horrifically murdered in front of her, the aftermath is disappointingly underexplored. Sam continues to attend school without apparent consequence or investigation. Despite residing in a community seemingly wary of Brown people, there's an unconvincing lack of scrutiny from white community members. The lack of police intervention or parental involvement undermines the teen movie ambitions, failing to sustain engagement by neglecting to adhere to the genre’s foundational components.
Visually, while Dutta and cinematographer Matthew Lynn employ effective close-ups to enhance immersion, their frequent use of Spike Lee's double dolly shot becomes less impactful with repetition, inadequately communicating Sam's internal turmoil. Furthermore, attempts to create fear through poorly executed match cuts and basic sound design fall short. The final confrontation between Sam and the monster drags, sacrificing pace and tension as Dutta seemingly attempts to pave a path toward a potential sequel.
In essence, while “It Lives Inside” holds potential for exploring rich narratives in presenting an Indian-American horror story within suburban confines, its struggles with plot development, theme exploration, and tension dynamics ultimately render the film externally mediocre.
