New from indie powerhouse NEON comes It Lives Inside, the demonic feature debut from writer and director Bishal Dutta – and from the looks of today’s trailer, we’ve got an exciting horror talent on our hands.
It Lives Inside stars Megan Suri (Missing), Neeru Bajwa (Jatt & Juliet 1 & 2), Mohana Krishnan, Vik Sahay (Captain Marvel) and Betty Gabriel (Get Out). The plot synopsis for the supernatural terror reads as follows:
Sam is desperate to fit in at school, rejecting her Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. When a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage in order to defeat it.
Like all the best horror, It Lives Inside comes from a personal place, as the initial inspiration for the film emerged from Dutta’s own childhood experience of being born in India before emigrating to be raised in America. The story draws heavily on both Indian demonic legend and a personal family story from Dutta’s grandfather. In his director’s statement, Dutta explains more about the duality of identity and influence in the film:
After I moved to North America from India at the age of four, a lot of my social education came from watching American horror films. I always wondered, what were families like mine doing while Bruce the shark tore through Amity’s waters, while Freddy Krueger slashed teenagers in the dreamscape, and while Jack Torrance chased his son through the maze-like halls of the Overlook? As it developed, It Lives Inside formed its own dual identity much like mine. On one hand, it is a love letter to the community and culture that raised me while on the other, it is a visceral experience that is designed to instill the same raw terror in its viewers that my favorite horror films instilled in me.
Since premiering at SXSW earlier this year, It Lives Inside has been racking up some impressive reviews, with Bloody Disgusting calling it a “captivating new spin on demonic horror.”
Raymond Mansfield (Get Out, BlacKkKlansman) and Sean McKittrick (Donnie Darko, Get Out) of QC Entertainment produced, with NEON, Edward H. Hamm Jr, Jameson Parker, Arielle Voisvert, and Shawn Williamson executive producing.
As of now, It Lives Inside doesn’t have an exact release date, but is expected in fall of this year. Keep your eyes peeled for updates as and when we get them – and feast those same eyes on this very creepy trailer below:
