Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Writer/Director Bishal Dutta uses a demon from Hindu mythology to tell a familiar story of trying to vanquish what cannot be stopped.
PLOT: An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.
REVIEW: One of the coolest trends going on in horror right now is the usage of cultural Boogeymen. Some of these have become a part of pop culture, while others are still confined to small communities. Indian culture is full of demons that the average American has never heard of. The creature in It Lives Within, called Pishacha, is based on demons that eat flesh in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. It’s much more interesting to learn about the creature because it is based on mythology and not something that a screenwriter made up just to scare us. All of this is to say that, while the story may follow many beats we’ve seen before, It Lives Inside‘s unique identity makes it feel fresh and exciting.Megan Suri’s Samidha is an extremely complex character that makes her intriguing to watch from the jump. I love stories where we go down the rabbit hole with a character. She doesn’t always make the right decisions, but the justifications provided in the film keep the viewer on her side. I also enjoyed Tamira, played by Mohana Krishnan. She is almost like the Tina of Samidha’s Nancy. The film has a
Nightmare On Elm Street feel to it, which I find appropriate. I also like that one character is adapting to his new country, while the other struggles with it. Many immigrants can relate to the struggles of establishing an identity in a new country while trying to maintain your heritage. The year 2023 was a fantastic one for horror cinematography, and It lives Inside
continues this trend. This film stands out from other similar films because of its wide aspect ratio, and the color palette that gets better as it enters the final act. The demon is extremely well done. It uses mostly practical effects, and keeps them mostly in shadows. The past year has had two similar villain reveals in both The Boogeyman and
Smile, yet I’d say this eclipses both of those, by providing a great design that looks wonderful from all angles. It doesn’t really matter how it is shot. It looks great and practical. I would love to see more close-ups as this creature has a lot of details to examine. If I had to pick out something I didn’t enjoy, it would be the lack of defined rules for the creature. It’s hard to create tension when it’s unclear whether it is invisible or not. The creature’s appearance felt more like a random roll of the dice. It’s frightening and has a lasting impact when it is about. I would have liked to see more violence from this creature. The story of It lives inside is a bit generic but its cultural roots give it a unique personality. I usually roll my eyes at the exposition scenes of films of this type, but I couldn’t stop listening to Neeru Bajwa speak with such authority. Megan Suri delivers a fantastic performance, and the creature is one of the most well-designed in horror. The movie isn’t terribly innovative, but not every film is. Sometimes a properly executed story with great performances and practical effects are all a good horror film needs.IT LIVES INSIDE
is currently playing at Fantasia Film Festival 2023 and will be
IN THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2023.8
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Writer/Director Bishal Dutta uses a demon from Hindu mythology to tell a familiar story of trying to vanquish what cannot be stopped.
PLOT: An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.
REVIEW: One of the coolest trends going on in horror right now is the usage of cultural Boogeymen. Some of these have become a part of pop culture, while others are still confined to small communities. Indian culture is full of demons that the average American has never heard of. The creature in It Lives Within, called Pishacha, is based on demons that eat flesh in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. It’s much more interesting to learn about the creature because it is based on mythology and not something that a screenwriter made up just to scare us. All of this is to say that, while the story may follow many beats we’ve seen before, It Lives Inside‘s unique identity makes it feel fresh and exciting.Megan Suri’s Samidha is an extremely complex character that makes her intriguing to watch from the jump. I love stories where we go down the rabbit hole with a character. She doesn’t always make the right decisions, but the justifications provided in the film keep the viewer on her side. I also enjoyed Tamira, played by Mohana Krishnan. She is almost like the Tina of Samidha’s Nancy. The film has a
Nightmare On Elm Street feel to it, which I find appropriate. I also like that one character is adapting to his new country, while the other struggles with it. Many immigrants can relate to the struggles of establishing an identity in a new country while trying to maintain your heritage. The year 2023 was a fantastic one for horror cinematography, and It lives Inside
continues this trend. This film stands out from other similar films because of its wide aspect ratio, and the color palette that gets better as it enters the final act. The demon is extremely well done. It uses mostly practical effects, and keeps them mostly in shadows. The past year has had two similar villain reveals in both The Boogeyman and
Smile, yet I’d say this eclipses both of those, by providing a great design that looks wonderful from all angles. It doesn’t really matter how it is shot. It looks great and practical. I would love to see more close-ups as this creature has a lot of details to examine. If I had to pick out something I didn’t enjoy, it would be the lack of defined rules for the creature. It’s hard to create tension when it’s unclear whether it is invisible or not. The creature’s appearance felt more like a random roll of the dice. It’s frightening and has a lasting impact when it is about. I would have liked to see more violence from this creature. The story of It lives inside is a bit generic but its cultural roots give it a unique personality. I usually roll my eyes at the exposition scenes of films of this type, but I couldn’t stop listening to Neeru Bajwa speak with such authority. Megan Suri delivers a fantastic performance, and the creature is one of the most well-designed in horror. The movie isn’t terribly innovative, but not every film is. Sometimes a properly executed story with great performances and practical effects are all a good horror film needs.IT LIVES INSIDE
is currently playing at Fantasia Film Festival 2023 and will be
IN THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2023.8
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
