FILM REVIEW: ​IT LIVES INSIDE

 
Oh budget, where were you when they needed you most? As we at the Ginger Nuts of Horror deal extensively with low-budget indie movies it’s hardly surprising to get films with slightly rounded corners where a little trimming has been done to keep things affordable. ‘It Lives Inside’ is one of those films which really could have done with a bit more cash invested in the only area which required a bit of a boost… The pretty poor CGI. Not saying that’s the only downside, it’s not even a deal breaker, just that something a little better than the ‘smoke monster’ from ‘LOST’ would have been preferable.

I say that the CGI is not the only downside, there’s also the odd muted performance from supporting cast which realistically could have been ramped up a notch, you know what… It doesn’t matter! This is a surprisingly good film, one which would easily stand a second viewing. It’s not an in your face kind of movie and as such it is not going to bombard you with jump scares and loud music, what it is going to do is build tension solidly making you anxious to see just how bad things are going to get for the young couple and their baby who are the focus of the film.

The baby’s father is a sleepwalker, he finds a book from which he releases a demonic spirit, yeah, I know, it’s all been done before and hey, I was prepared for a yawnfest too, but I was pleasantly surprised. The father is possessed, but not in any ‘Ashy slashy’ fashion as it’s more a case that he looks quite normal and does his best to fight the urgings of the Demon. This is a normal guy with a no-frills lifestyle who is just trying to protect his family. Is the demon real though or is the buggered-up sleep-pattern making him lose his grip on reality? Thanks to a largely unnecessary intro set in 1890 and showing a Blacksmith at an encampment being possessed by the smoke demon and going bat-shit crazy killing everyone in the camp, it’s all pointing toward the demon being real. Personally the film would have been better without the intro and the money saved on not filming that could have spent on the CGI. Better luck next time eh?

It Lives Inside is a very smart film, although it doesn’t blatantly allude toward mental health issues it certainly covers them with great sensitivity albeit in broad strokes necessary to keep the supernatural edge right up until the nasty finale.
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It is now available on VOD and DVD and is well worth the rental.