Dutta has a keen horror eye, with several sequences eking out a tension with hints of greater darkness in the shadows. And this is a work that can be compelling in its use of Hindi culture, particularly adding a layer to both Samidha’s story and to a nifty central monster. It helps that Megan Suri brings depth to Samidha, handling the weight of the second immigrant life. Plus cinematographer Matthew Lynn gives the film a crisp, distinctive look.
And yet It Lives Inside never quite finds the balance between its two thematic strands – between being a teen horror film and one that explores the lived experience of an immigrant family. Sadly, the cultural aspects the film tapping into end up being reduced to stylistic trappings, as opposed to fundamentally shifting what this horror is. But there are unnerving sequences here, particularly when the central demon attacks. There’s brutal violence, even if it is mostly bloodless, and It Lives Inside can be an effective rollercoaster ride of a horror movie. It just feels the promise and potential to Dutta’s film slowly seeps away to make it a rather hollow, frustrating watch.