Inhabitants is a fusion of a good many horror parts. Clichés and genuinely new ideas are smashed together to form a satisfying whole, except it’s not just satisfying – it’s a damn good movie.
A young couple move in together – she’s a spiritualist and he’s a lapsed catholic, and throughout the piece, they are haunted by his vengeful former youth pastor. So formulaic, so good, right? Except it doesn’t follow the rules in the way you would expect it to, and that’s what makes this slice of horror pie all the sweeter. When we say horror, we mean there are horror tropes, but this is undoubtedly more like a thriller; in fact, it would serve as a great gateway to horror flicks for your early teens to check out.
Director Matt McClung clearly knows his stuff and guides a confident production to a satisfying conclusion, but it’s the two leads who deserve all the props. Their chemistry onscreen is off the charts and it’s this that lifts the stakes and indeed the movie by a good margin. Anna Jacoby-Heron and Josh Rivera make you believe they are an actual couple instead of the one-dimensional relationships you usually get from this kind of film.
Our only criticism here is in the pacing, which could’ve been tighter, but aside from that, this is a fun movie that’s definitely worth your time.
INHABITANTS is out now on digital platforms.
