Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven horror movie takes thoughtful approach to culture.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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It Lives Inside
What's the Story?
In IT LIVES INSIDE, Indian American high school student Samidha, or "Sam" (Megan Suri), struggles with her identity. She abandons her childhood friend Tamira (Mohana Krishnan) -- who has been acting strange lately, looking jittery and exhausted and carrying around a glass jar -- and befriends the clueless Kittie (Beatrice Kitsos) and pines after school hunk Russ (Gage Marsh). Tamira approaches Sam, asking for help. She claims that something evil and powerful is in the jar and is getting stronger, but Sam smashes it. Soon Tamira has disappeared, Sam starts seeing strange and terrifying things, and people around her begin dying. With help from her teacher, Joyce (Betty Gabriel), and eventually her strict mother, Poorna (Neeru Bajwa), Sam must identify the evil force and find a way to stop it.
Is It Any Good?
It follows a pretty familiar formula, but this horror movie makes an admirable attempt to incorporate Indian culture and identity into its fabric. The feature writing and directing debut of Indian-born Bishal Dutta, It Lives Inside is incisive when it comes to dealing with the immigrant experience. Samidha wants to separate herself from her Indian heritage. She shortens her name to "Sam," befriends a White girl, seeks a White boyfriend, and only speaks English at home, while her more traditional mother speaks Hindi. And Sam's choice to leave her former BFF Tamira behind because she doesn't fit Sam's new "look" is heartbreaking. Dutta also incorporates language and tradition into his story -- for example, by showing Poorna preparing a feast as an offering to the demon. Ultimately, defeating the demon is equivalent to Sam reclaiming her culture.
That said, the main thrust of It Lives Inside is less than inspired. It's a typical horror story about a demon latching on to a new victim and characters searching for the demon's origins, then finding a way to stop the demon, followed by a "the end ... or is it?" ending. The movie feels like it's going through a lot of the horror genre motions: It has not one but two "nightmare" sequences and several other clichés. It can't even keep track of when it's raining. (The rain starts and stops on a dime throughout.) Dutta might have been better off embracing the personal even more closely, rather than trying to fit into a premade genre mold.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about It Lives Inside's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How is Indian culture portrayed here? What does Sam do to try to fit in? What is she giving up?
What's the difference between Sam and her mother? What is their relationship like? Is there a middle ground between their beliefs?
If Sam eventually stops the demon by learning to embrace her culture, then what do you think the demon represents, thematically?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 22, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : November 7, 2023
- Cast : Megan Suri , Neeru Bajwa , Mohana Krishnan
- Director : Bishal Dutta
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Neon
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : terror, violent content, bloody images, brief strong language and teen drug use
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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