A Clever Genre-Shifting Horror That Holds Itself Back From Greatness

Summary

• The Inheritance sets up expectations but cleverly shifts gears from mystery to horror.
• The film takes unexpected turns, but suffers from weak character development and a flawed script.
• Despite the Victorian-era mansion’s set design and cinematography creating a spooky atmosphere, the film’s ambition isn’t met with stellar execution.

The Inheritance (2024)

follows the rich Abernathy family — 75-year-old Charles Abernathy invites his family for a birthday celebration and, despite tensions between the Abernathy children, they comply. Once at the grandiose mansion that gives off creepy old money vibes, the grown kids are told there is actually something else they’re there for, and that is their substantial inheritance. Someone or something is going to kill Charles tonight, and he puts his entire estate and wealth on the line. If anything happens to him, all of it will be donated.

If you are getting strong Knives Out vibes, put those feelings aside because screenwriters Chris LaMont and Joe Russo intend to lure you in with false expectations. What audiences should really be expecting is Ready or Not meets The Fall of House of Usher, with a touch of The Haunting of Hill House.

The Inheritance Takes A Pleasantly Surprising Turn

But it can’t build to something great

When we meet our cast of potential victims and suspects, there is a sense that we know them from before. Four children with wildly expected personas — Drew (Austin Stowell), who got away from the family, the twins Madeline and CJ (Rachel Nichols and David Walton), who care a bit too much about money, and the youngest, Cami (Peyton List), who values social media more than anything else. Then there is Drew’s wife, Hannah (Briana Middleton), the outsider coming in, and the audience surrogate. Through these characters, The Inheritance‘s flaws shine through the most.

Once we meet the family, we think we know what to expect — infighting, betrayal, lies and murder. The Inheritance isn’t that, though, making for an unexpected but pleasant surprise for those who haven’t watched the trailer. The setup is fantastic when you don’t know how this will unfold. But once the genre shifts, the film doesn’t take the necessary steps to maintain the momentum. The familial dynamic is haphazardly put together, the characters are thinly written, and the acting isn’t much better.

The film manages to be a very straightforward horror, but the lackluster character work diminishes whatever good comes from its genre shift…

After horror fans were treated to Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher, we’re primed to expect something similar when The Inheritance turns sharply from mystery to horror. The setup feels familiar, as do the character tropes, but the film flounders because it lacks substantive character work, which only excretes the thin script. Sure, there is fun in rooting against bad people, but the entertainment is hollow if there is no real characterization or a sense of understanding.

Production Design & Atmosphere Carries The Inheritance

The film’s visuals carry much of the film. The set design for the Victorian-era mansion is just right, giving enough to create a spooky and thrilling atmosphere. There are moments of horror that don’t quite land, but the effort in crafting the design and feel of the space and its inhabitants is done well enough. Cinematographer Vincent De Paula captures the place’s opulence and excessive extravagance very well, but most impressive is his ability to create the feeling that something is just not right in this large, empty estate without exaggerating it.

Alejandro Brugués is a capable director, but without a solid script, there are way too many moments where the momentum comes to a sharp halt due to the ineptness of the writing. Ultimately, despite some heavy lifting behind the scenes, the ambition is not met with stellar execution.

The Inheritance Doesn’t Leave A Strong Lasting Impression

Russo and LaMont’s script is far from solid, but with a little more done to flesh out the characters, this genre-bending exploration of familial bonds would have left a lasting impression. The cast don’t manage to escape the confines of archetypes to give interesting performances, except for Briana Middleton and Peyton Lists, whose attempts are more palpable than the rest.

The film manages to be a very straightforward horror, but the lackluster character work diminishes whatever good comes from its genre shift, and the shift is substantial. Defying expectations is usually a great tactic, and The Inheritance does at least get good when it takes a sharp turn from being a Knives Out knockoff to the family horror it wants to be. There may not be much to commend it, but the attempt is admirable, and maybe that will win some folks over.

The Inheritance is now playing in select theaters and is available on demand. The film is 85 minutes long.