It Lives Inside
It Lives Inside

It Lives Inside

2023Movie99 minEnglish

Desperate to fit in at school, Sam rejects her Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. However, when a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage to defeat it.

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Insights

IMDb5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes82%
Metacritic63/100
Google Users75%
Director: Megan FreelsGenres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Plot Summary

A lonely Indian-American teenager seeking to fit in, finds herself targeted by a terrifying demonic entity. This ancient spirit, known as a Tamal, feeds on loneliness and despair, and is unleashed from its prison by the girl's desperate attempt to sever her ties to her culture. She must confront her past and embrace her heritage to defeat the creature before it consumes her and her community.

Critical Reception

It Lives Inside received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its unique premise, cultural representation, and effective scares. While some found the pacing uneven, the overall consensus was that it was a refreshing and well-crafted addition to the horror genre.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its novel concept and strong cultural themes.
  • Noted for its effective blend of jump scares and atmospheric dread.
  • Some critics pointed to a slightly predictable narrative arc.

Google audience: Audiences generally appreciated the film's originality and the exploration of immigrant identity within a horror framework. Many found the creature design and the film's message about embracing one's roots to be compelling, although a few felt the plot could have been more nuanced.

Fun Fact

The film draws inspiration from Hindu mythology, specifically the concept of the Tamal, a malevolent spirit that preys on human negativity and isolation.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
patient1

patient1

It appears that our main character is rather disassociated from her peers and is rather unhappy with her life. We already have what looks like some ancient or possibly forbidden behavior. The strangeness has begun, and it's looking freaking...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Well we've had Mandarin and Spanish integrated into dual-dialogue Hollywood films recently, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before another language featured - and we have it here in the partial use of Hindi. Thereafter, though, th...