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{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|74|6.5|42|consensus=Effective horror with a strong core of social commentary, ''It Lives Inside'' is an eerily compelling calling card for filmmaker Bishal Dutta in his feature-length debut.|access-date=September 20, 2023|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|48|9|ref=yes|access-date=August 21, 2023}} |
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|74|6.5|42|consensus=Effective horror with a strong core of social commentary, ''It Lives Inside'' is an eerily compelling calling card for filmmaker Bishal Dutta in his feature-length debut.|access-date=September 20, 2023|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|48|9|ref=yes|access-date=August 21, 2023}} |
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Meagan Navarro of [[Bloody Disgusting]] gave the film a score of 3.5/5, writing, "Dutta uses a familiar framework of teen horror as an accessible introduction to underexplored mythology exacerbated by a cultural divide and adolescence. While Dutta wears his influences on his sleeves, the gnarly new demon and the complexities of its characters mark this director as one to watch."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Navarro |first=Meagan |date=2023-03-13 |title=‘It Lives Inside’ SXSW Review – Cultural Metaphor Gives Demonic Horror a Smart, Refreshing Update |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3754268/it-lives-inside-sxsw-review-cultural-metaphor-gives-demonic-horror-a-smart-refreshing-update/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US}}</ref> Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of the [[Alliance of Women Film Journalists]] wrote, "While on the surface ''It Lives Inside'' plays fairly conventionally with horror's familiar codes and conventions, the incorporation of Hindu folklore in a story that is fundamentally built around the immigrant experience breathes new life into the otherwise hackneyed storyline."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heller-Nicholas |first=Alexandra |date=2023-08-07 |title=IT LIVES INSIDE (Fantasia Fest 2023) – Review by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas |url=https://awfj.org/blog/2023/08/07/it-lives-inside-fantasia-fest-2023-review-by-alexandra-heller-nicholas/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=Alliance of Women Film Journalists |language=en-US}}</ref> [[The Hollywood Reporter |
Meagan Navarro of [[Bloody Disgusting]] gave the film a score of 3.5/5, writing, "Dutta uses a familiar framework of teen horror as an accessible introduction to underexplored mythology exacerbated by a cultural divide and adolescence. While Dutta wears his influences on his sleeves, the gnarly new demon and the complexities of its characters mark this director as one to watch."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Navarro |first=Meagan |date=2023-03-13 |title=‘It Lives Inside’ SXSW Review – Cultural Metaphor Gives Demonic Horror a Smart, Refreshing Update |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3754268/it-lives-inside-sxsw-review-cultural-metaphor-gives-demonic-horror-a-smart-refreshing-update/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US}}</ref> Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of the [[Alliance of Women Film Journalists]] wrote, "While on the surface ''It Lives Inside'' plays fairly conventionally with horror's familiar codes and conventions, the incorporation of Hindu folklore in a story that is fundamentally built around the immigrant experience breathes new life into the otherwise hackneyed storyline."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heller-Nicholas |first=Alexandra |date=2023-08-07 |title=IT LIVES INSIDE (Fantasia Fest 2023) – Review by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas |url=https://awfj.org/blog/2023/08/07/it-lives-inside-fantasia-fest-2023-review-by-alexandra-heller-nicholas/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=Alliance of Women Film Journalists |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''<nowiki/>'s Lovia Gyarkye wrote, "The potency of ''It Lives Inside'' — and why it might be worth checking out even if it isn't wholly satisfying — lies in how it introduces Sam and Tamira's relationship and links it to Hindu lore."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gyarkye |first=Lovia |date=2023-09-20 |title=‘It Lives Inside’ Review: A Horror Debut About First-Generation Immigrants Falls Short of Its Potential |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/it-lives-inside-review-1235594660/ |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Brian Tallerico of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' was more critical, writing, "While I appreciate the effort here and the quest for representation involving a culture that is not often seen in American horror, the execution misfires in every direction, leading to one of the most frustrating films I saw at SXSW this year. I kept actively trying to like ''It Lives Inside''. It kept pushing me out."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |date=March 16, 2023 |title=SXSW 2023: Only the Good Survive, The Wrath of Becky, It Lives Inside |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/sxsw-2023-only-the-good-survive-the-wrath-of-becky-it-lives-inside |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=RogerEbert.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Slant Magazine|''Slant Magazine'']]'s Derek Smith wrote, "Had the film actually delivered some genuine chills, it would be easier to look past its derivative story, hollow characterizations, and overly literal symbolism of depression and alienation", and gave it 1.5/4 stars.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Derek |date=2023-08-15 |title='It Lives Inside' Review: Frustratingly Nonchalant Demonic Horror |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/it-lives-inside-review-bishal-dutta/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> |
Brian Tallerico of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' was more critical, writing, "While I appreciate the effort here and the quest for representation involving a culture that is not often seen in American horror, the execution misfires in every direction, leading to one of the most frustrating films I saw at SXSW this year. I kept actively trying to like ''It Lives Inside''. It kept pushing me out."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |date=March 16, 2023 |title=SXSW 2023: Only the Good Survive, The Wrath of Becky, It Lives Inside |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/sxsw-2023-only-the-good-survive-the-wrath-of-becky-it-lives-inside |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=RogerEbert.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Slant Magazine|''Slant Magazine'']]'s Derek Smith wrote, "Had the film actually delivered some genuine chills, it would be easier to look past its derivative story, hollow characterizations, and overly literal symbolism of depression and alienation", and gave it 1.5/4 stars.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Derek |date=2023-08-15 |title='It Lives Inside' Review: Frustratingly Nonchalant Demonic Horror |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/it-lives-inside-review-bishal-dutta/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> |
Revision as of 15:09, 22 September 2023
It Lives Inside | |
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Directed by | Bishal Dutta |
Written by | Bishal Dutta |
Story by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Matthew Lynn |
Edited by | Jack Price |
Music by | Wesley Hughes |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Neon |
Release dates |
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Running time | 99 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
It Lives Inside is a 2023 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Bishal Dutta and starring Megan Suri.
The film debuted at the 2023 South by Southwest film festival, and was released by Neon on September 22, 2023.
Premise
Sam is an American high school student of Indian origin who rejects her Indian heritage to be like everyone else. When a demonic spirit known as a Pishach latches onto her former best friend, she has to come to terms with her heritage to defeat it.
Cast
- Megan Suri as Sam
- Neeru Bajwa as Poorna
- Mohana Krishnan as Tamira
- Vik Sahay as Inesh
- Gage Marsh as Russ
- Beatrice Kitsos
- Betty Gabriel as Joyce Dixon
Production
On October 14, 2021, Neon and QC Entertainment announced a partnership to produce a then-untitled debut feature from Dutta, starring Megan Suri, Neeru Bajwa, Vik Sahay and Betty Gabriel. Principal photography started the same day in Vancouver.[2][3]
Dutta took inspiration for the film from his own childhood experience of being born in India prior to moving to North America.[4][5] The story is influenced by Indian demonic mythology as well as a personal story from Dutta's grandfather.[4] Dutta explained:
"After I moved to North America from India at the age of four, a lot of my social education came from watching American horror films. I always wondered, what were families like mine doing while Bruce the shark tore through Amity's waters, while Freddy Krueger slashed teenagers in the dreamscape, and while Jack Torrance chased his son through the maze-like halls of the Overlook? As it developed, It Lives Inside formed its own dual identity much like mine. On one hand, it is a love letter to the community and culture that raised me while on the other, it is a visceral experience that is designed to instill the same raw terror in its viewers that my favorite horror films instilled in me."[4][5]
Release
The film debuted at the 2023 South by Southwest film festival.[5] It was released on September 22, 2023.[6][7]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of 42 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Effective horror with a strong core of social commentary, It Lives Inside is an eerily compelling calling card for filmmaker Bishal Dutta in his feature-length debut."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 48 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[9]
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting gave the film a score of 3.5/5, writing, "Dutta uses a familiar framework of teen horror as an accessible introduction to underexplored mythology exacerbated by a cultural divide and adolescence. While Dutta wears his influences on his sleeves, the gnarly new demon and the complexities of its characters mark this director as one to watch."[10] Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists wrote, "While on the surface It Lives Inside plays fairly conventionally with horror's familiar codes and conventions, the incorporation of Hindu folklore in a story that is fundamentally built around the immigrant experience breathes new life into the otherwise hackneyed storyline."[11] The Hollywood Reporter's Lovia Gyarkye wrote, "The potency of It Lives Inside — and why it might be worth checking out even if it isn't wholly satisfying — lies in how it introduces Sam and Tamira's relationship and links it to Hindu lore."[12]
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com was more critical, writing, "While I appreciate the effort here and the quest for representation involving a culture that is not often seen in American horror, the execution misfires in every direction, leading to one of the most frustrating films I saw at SXSW this year. I kept actively trying to like It Lives Inside. It kept pushing me out."[13] Slant Magazine's Derek Smith wrote, "Had the film actually delivered some genuine chills, it would be easier to look past its derivative story, hollow characterizations, and overly literal symbolism of depression and alienation", and gave it 1.5/4 stars.[14]
References
- ^ "It Lives Inside". British Board of Film Classification. July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ Grater, Tom (October 14, 2021). "Neon & QC Entertainment Set Megan Suri To Star In Untitled Horror From Debut Director Bishal Dutta". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Song, Katie (October 14, 2021). "Neon to Produce Bishal Dutta's New Horror Film With 'Get Out' and 'BlacKkKlansman' Producers". Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Check Your Closet Before Watching Neon's IT LIVES INSIDE Trailer". Fangoria. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c Bergeson, Samantha (April 26, 2023). "'It Lives Inside' Trailer: Neon Gets Demonic with Indian Horror Movie from 'Get Out' Producers". IndieWire. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Neon [@neonrated] (June 29, 2023). "You can't contain evil. IT LIVES INSIDE, starring Megan Suri and Neeru Bajwa, opens exclusively in theaters September 22nd" (Tweet). Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Squires, John (June 30, 2023). "'It Lives Inside' – Official Poster Announces September Release Date for NEON Horror Movie". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "It Lives Inside". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "It Lives Inside". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ Navarro, Meagan (March 13, 2023). "'It Lives Inside' SXSW Review – Cultural Metaphor Gives Demonic Horror a Smart, Refreshing Update". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra (August 7, 2023). "IT LIVES INSIDE (Fantasia Fest 2023) – Review by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (September 20, 2023). "'It Lives Inside' Review: A Horror Debut About First-Generation Immigrants Falls Short of Its Potential". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Tallerico, Brian (March 16, 2023). "SXSW 2023: Only the Good Survive, The Wrath of Becky, It Lives Inside". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Derek (August 15, 2023). "'It Lives Inside' Review: Frustratingly Nonchalant Demonic Horror". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 15, 2023.