It Lives Inside (2023)

Director: Bishal Dutta

Starring: Megan Suri, Neeru Bajwa, Mohana Krishnan

An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.

Samidha (or Sam) and Tamira used to be best friends. Now, Tamira is looking dire and she carries a glass jar with her. We immediately suspect something terribly wrong when Tamira drops raw meat into the jar, looking petrified. When she and Sam has words, Samidha accidentally breaks the jar, unleashing a powerful demon which had been trapped inside the jar.

When Tamira disappears soon after, Sam is plagued by nightmares that “feels very real”. Trying to find out what happened to Tamira, information leads her to the house of an Indian boy named Karan, who died recently. Sam befriends Russ, who comforts her, and allows for a romantic interest.

It was nice to see a demonic film from an Indian perspective, respecting their culture and beliefs. I did find the film a bit on the slow side, although never boring. There are a few seriously creepy moments that kept me interested, and Megan Suri delivered a convincing performance as Sam.

With so many demonic/possession movies flooding the market lately, it is challenging to make a film of this genre that feels fresh and original. ‘It Lives Inside’ might not offer anything new, but this is a well made genre film which has its moments, and illustrates the slow demise of a character.

Would I watch it again? I don’t think so.