Religion and culture create a theme of terror in It Lives Inside. The title speaks for itself based on the foundation of the film’s setup. There is that eerie feeling of terror that shivers through the audience as they realize a spirit is growing. Sadly, it is not that surprising nor very innovative. It Lives Inside is based on a shared perspective of families celebrating a holiday based on their culture and the belief that their tradition keeps evil spirits out of their lives. In It Lives Inside the tradition brings the evil spirit to haunt its main character. Then, as the film progresses, there are some gems and wonders. However, it becomes a film which is about time being of the essence to fight off the spirit rather than the story working hard to be very interesting.

In It Lives Inside, the film focuses on Poorna (played by Neeru Bajwa). She is an Indian American teenager who is disconnected from the reality of her cultural identity. She struggles to practice religion with her parents in her home life. She also has had a falling out with a close friend, Tamira (played by Mohana Krishnan). As Poorna keeps distancing herself from Tamira, a demonic spirit begins to slowly arise and finds its way to Poorna. Suddenly, Tamira is missing, and the demonic spirit stays with Poorna. With the unexplained deaths of Poorna’s friends, she must find what is necessary to stop the demonic spirit from wrecking her own life.

Poorna’s loneliness is where the spirit finds its motive. The fascination of It Lives Inside is how solitude and disconnect are what target Poorna. She is disconnected from who she is as a person and questions her faith. The film’s writing lacks emphasis on the links to the terror caused by the demonic spirit. The film continues to be a bit of a trainwreck with typical horror film scares. The idea is somewhat creative and interesting, but the writing falls flat.

Poorna’s life of facing agonizing frustrations is where the film is invigorating. The fact that her relationship with her parents is in an odd place builds the haunting aspects more than the demonic spirit. Does Poorna want to be cool? Does Poorna hate her life? Is there a past scenario that leads Poorna to be more distant? Where is the logic to the demonic spirit bringing Poorna trouble? Many unanswered questions seem half-answered throughout the film. Perhaps it is because the film seems rushed.

There are many spiritual discussions and disagreements in the story. Even Poorna’s parents believe that being unfaithful is what causes the problems in her life. There may be some truth to that, but Poorna struggles to talk about the problem which is complicated. All of It Lives Inside is a disappointing drag that never finds a way to pick itself up as much as it should. This is somewhat upsetting because its plotline could have included more details, explanations, and a better understanding of why problems arise. What does arise is hatred within Poorna’s family and a demonic spirit appearing in strange fragments throughout the film. Two out of four stars for It Lives Inside.