Review of Inheritance: A Genre-Shifting Horror That Holds Itself Back
The intriguing horror film The Inheritance (2024) explores sinister secrets and dark forces lurking within an opulent mansion of a wealthy family. Aiming to keep viewers wondering and on the tip of their seats, the movie tries to combine aspects of mystery, suspense, and horror. Its thin script and underdeveloped characters finally cause it to fall short of greatness even if it has a great idea and some strong visual elements.
The Inheritance Film: Divided Families
The idea of the movie starts with a rather simple situation: wealthy patriarch Charles Abernathy invites his estranged kids back home for his 75th birthday. Drawing on different personalities and motivations, the Abernathy children—Drew, Madeline, CJ, and Cami—also suggest a complicated and maybe dysfunctional family dynamic. Since these characters are archetypes sometimes found in family dramas, the first introduction of them makes the audience familiar.
The Inheritance: A Genre Change That Turns Out Not Perfect
Though initially looking great, The Inheritance veers from a family drama into a horror movie. Although this genre change could have been a big asset, the underdeveloped characters and shallow script work cause it to fall flat. Though visually appealing, the film's overall shortcomings eclipse the horror components; the characters are not strong enough to keep audience interest.
Production Design and Environment Carry the Film
The atmosphere and production design of the movie are among its best features. The horror components find an interesting backdrop in the Victorian-era mansion with its extravagant details and terrible grandeur. The way the movie captures the grandeur of the mansion and generates suspense suggests the terrible powers living inside.
The Inheritance: A Film Falling Short
The Inheritance finally falls short of its promise even if it aims to be an exciting genre-bending movie. Its thin script and poor character development keep it from reaching the degree of suspense and horror it seeks. The atmosphere of the movie is its best feature; it cannot overcome the flaws in its story. For those looking for a quick, visually driven horror movie, The Inheritance might be a passable choice though.
