The Inhabitant Film Review
In watching The Inhabitant, you're getting a hodgepodge of genres in one film. Directed by Jerren Lauder, there's elements of a horror film, a supernatural film and a murder mystery, but somehow it works to a satisfying degree.
Starring Odessa A’zion, who can also be seen is the reboot of Hellraiser, she plays Tara, a descendant of famed Lizzie Borden and starts to wonder if the family genes have passed down to her when she starts having nightmares.
Back in April 1892, Lizzie Borden killed her father and stepmother with axe. In this film, it seems that her demonic traits may have been passing down through generations and Tara is next in line, yet she doesn't feel it.
Tara's got a lot to deal with as she's in the midst of senior year. Not only is she dealing with a school bully when it comes to field hockey, but her boyfriend is about to take off to Stanford. When these nightmares start happening with visions of her murdering her younger brother, all her parents (Leslie Bibb, Dermot Mulroney) can do is recommend Tara see a therapist. Things start to get worst when those around her start to get killed by an age. Did Tara do it? Is Lizzie back from the dead?
There's a lot to unpack here but director keeps the intrigue going by adding the whodunit component. It's too easy to assume that Tara is the guilty one but A'zion does a good job in selling us the notion that she did inherit Lizzie's trait. There’s a couple of red herrings to throw one from off from guessing what’s really going on, and that adds to the complexity. Once you get through the jump scares, it off to see if Tara is just going through the motions of being a teenager or if something more sinister is at play. It’s a solid film that you can enjoy if you’re fan of any of the genres mentioned.