In the bustling hallway of a high school, Poorna, a lonely teenager, attracts intrigued, even contemptuous, looks from her peers. This is because, in addition to her unkempt appearance, she is holding a glass jar filled with what looks like ashes. Sam, a classmate, was until recently Poorna’s best friend. Desiring “to be like everyone else”, Sam however turned his back on both his girlfriend and his Indian culture. However, unbeknownst to Sam, the demon originating from the Hindu religion who is currently tormenting Poorna is preparing to set his sights on her. In It Lives InsideBishal Dutta breathes a fascinating socio-cultural dimension into a horror story full of thrills.
From the outset, the audience knows, like the unfortunate Poorna, that said pot contains – or rather retains – something terrible. Incandescent lights, disturbing noises that only the young girl hears… And now the glass cracks!
A proven and inveterate lover of 1980s horror films despite his young age, as he confided to Duty, Bishal Dutta fills his first film with references to the classics published during this pivotal decade for the genre. The film A Nightmare on Elm Street (The claws of the night) is, obviously, the one that most inspired the screenwriter and director.
In fact, Sam follows a journey comparable to that of Nancy in Wes Craven’s seminal film, gradually awakening to the supernatural threat that pursues her and experiencing a subsequent isolation exacerbated by an increasing difficulty in distinguishing reality from nightmare.
Bishal Dutta does not, however, limit himself to offering a variation of a past work, far from it.
Merged approaches
Thus, the initial rhythm more closely follows that of recent horror films like It Follows (Hunted) And Hereditary (Hereditary). We are in a slow burn, at least in the first part.
Because the pace accelerates and, in the second part, jolts are not rare. The fusion of the two generally antithetical approaches, the instillation of a dull tension as opposed to the frantic deployment of shock effects, works well.
As for the creature that haunts not only Sam’s dreams, but the tangible world as well, it is only revealed little by little: eyes that glow in a dark corner, a piece of twisted silhouette that stands out in the darkness, a clawed hand… This is the proven way of doing things Jaws (Jaws). Alas, when it is finally revealed in full, the monster is a bit disappointing: it is well designed, but generic.
That being said, what really distinguishes It Lives Inside, it’s Indian culture in the background, through Sam’s family. The result is many exciting details – and appetizing, with all these close-ups of cooked dishes. The Hindu religion is prevalent through the protagonist’s mother, who practices it with devotion: between these two, there is constant disagreement since the second decided to reject traditions and beliefs altogether.
Moreover, the film has a lot to say, specifically, about the pressure that children and adolescents of immigrant background undergo in their “Americanization” process. Conversely, the themes of generational conflict and conflict of values give universality to the film.
Generally, It Lives Inside turns out to be a nice surprise, and Bishal Dutta, a filmmaker to follow.