'It Lives Inside' review: Horror film cleverly incorporates Indian cultural twist

AFTER a solid round of acclaimed screenings on the festival circuit, the Hollywood horror film has a UK cinema release on Friday (20).

The story revolves around a high school student, Sam, who tries to push away her Indian heritage, including a very traditional mother, to fit in with the non-Asians. She inadvertently unleashes an evil entity, feeding on negative emotions, which has latched itself to her former best friend.

The mysterious demon makes her friend disappear, pushes Sam deep into nightmares and puts those she loves in extreme danger. She must reconnect with her Hindu beliefs to fight back against the deadly spirit.

The unique film attempts to mix up good old fashion scares with the story of Indian immigrants, culture clash and coming of age. Debut writer/director Bishal Dutta cleverly takes a flesh eating entity from Hindu mythology and put it in the middle of an American high school, while layering it with a lead protagonist caught between two contrasting worlds. As a filmmaker, he has made himself one to watch.

There is a great performance from Never Have I Ever star Megan Suri as the conflicted student who is pushed towards taking on an evil force. She brilliantly conveys extreme emotions in the multilayered film. Popular Indian actress Neeru Bajwa delivers a great turn as the mother trying to keep her traditional heritage alive in a foreign land.

There perhaps aren’t enough scares, a high body count or enough of the monster for hardcore horror fans, but on the flip side this makes It Lives Inside open to a wider audience. The compelling story was also strong enough to have more layers and characters. That doesn’t take away from this being one of the most unique films featuring South Asian protagonists released this year and another great step towards better representation in Hollywood.