Set to release this fall, It Lives Inside is an upcoming supernatural horror movie that’s got everyone talking. After an award-winning festival run and rave reviews earlier this year, the movie is causing a buzz among horror fans on social media. It Lives Inside follows Indian-American high school student Sam, who must reclaim her heritage when a Hindu demon attaches to her former best friend. The movie serves as award-winning director Bishal Dutta’s feature film debut and is set to showcase an edge-of-your-seat story of cross-cultural terror.
Keep reading to find out everything we know so far about It Lives Inside.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on October 8.
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When Did ‘It Lives Inside’ Come Out?
It Lives Inside had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 11, 2023. Following that, the movie went on to screen at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival and the Sidewalk Film Festival in the summer of 2023.
It Lives Inside was released to wider audiences exclusively in theaters across the United States and Europe on September 22, 2023.
Where Will ‘It Lives Inside’ Be Available to Stream?
Image via NEON
There’s no news at present related to when and where the film will be available to stream. However, the movie’s distribution company, NEON, leads us to speculate that It Lives Inside will likely be hosted on Hulu when the time comes. You can watch NEON with any Hulu plan starting at $7.99 per month. A relatively new company, NEON is home to a fantastic selection of award-winning movies.
What Is ‘It Lives Inside’ About?
Image via NEON
It Lives Inside is a supernatural horror movie centered on Indian-American high school student Sam. Like most high school-aged people, Sam is determined to fit in with her peers, rejecting her Indian origins to be exactly like those around her. However, Sam’s former best friend Tamira has begun to attract some negative attention among the students after suddenly becoming withdrawn and unkempt and carrying a mysterious jar with her at all times. When Sam and Tamira have a long overdue heart-to-heart and the contents of the jar are unleashed, Sam realizes she must reconnect with her heritage to defeat the evil.
Is There a Trailer for ‘It Lives Inside’?
NEON released a trailer for It Lives Inside on its official YouTube channel on April 26, 2023. Since the movie’s festival screenings and subsequent award wins, It Lives Inside’s upcoming release has created a buzz of anticipation among the horror community, which is reflected in the trailer’s outstanding viewing figures of over 5.5 million. The video begins with a brief yet terrifying montage before Sam can be heard explaining the stories she and Tamira used to hear from Sam’s mother when they were children. Sam’s mother relays one of these stories in the present day, and she tells Sam that the ayahs (verses in the Quran) warned them never to sleep with bad feelings in their hearts because a “darkness” could attach and feed on those feelings. We then see Sam’s best friend Tamira withdrawn and concealed in black clothing, keeping her distance from everyone in school. Teachers and students express their concerns to an unsettled Sam, who decides to approach the strange girl who was once like a sister. Tamira explains that there is something inside the mysterious jar and that although it can’t be seen “it lives inside”. Soon, the jar begins to crack, and terror is unleashed upon the girls. Sam realizes that to save herself and Tamira, she must delve into her Indian heritage to defeat the demon known as a Pishach.
Who’s in the Cast of ‘It Lives Inside’?
Image via NEON
Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever) stars as Sam, and Mohana Krishnan (I Am Frankie) stars as Sam’s estranged best friend Tamira. Joining them is Neeru Bajwa (Jatt & Juliet) as Poorna, Betty Gabriel (Get Out) as Joyce, Vik Sahay (Chuck) as Inesh, Gage Marsh (Big Sky) as Russ, Siddhartha Minhas (The Imperfects) as Karan, and Sangeeta Wylie (Beeba Boys) as Radha.
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What Is the Background of ‘It Lives Inside’?
Image via NEON
During It Lives Inside’s South by Southwest festival debut, filmmaker Bishal Dutta explained that while he grew up watching American horror movies, he always had an interest in “dual identity” horror. Thus, although It Lives Inside is set in America, the movie centers on an entity known as a Pishach, a flesh-eating demon in Hindu and Buddhist mythology referred to as the manifestation of evil.
The concept is an interesting one and is not the first cross-culture movie of its kind. Hailed one of the best horror movies of 2020, Remi Weekes’ His House is set in the United Kingdom, whilst centering on an “apeth”, a South Sudanese demon.
Who Made ‘It Lives Inside’?
Image by Jefferson Chacon
It Lives Inside is directed by Bishal Dutta (The Third), and written by Dutta and Ashish Mehta (Hush Hush). Executive producers include the team behind Brandon Cronenberg’s mind-bending sci-fi horror Infinity Pool; Jeff Deutchman, Tom Quinn, and Emily Thomas. They’re joined by Arielle Boisvert (Upload), Ryan Friscia (Cuckoo), Edward H. Hamm Jr. (Get Out), Jameson Parker (Summer of 84), and Shawn Williamson (The Good Doctor). Matthew Lynn (Under the Influencer) serves as the movie’s cinematographer, with music by Wesley Hughes (The Stay).
More Movies Like ‘It Lives Inside’ That You Can Watch Right Now
His House (2020) – Centering on the couple Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), His House begins with the aforementioned pair making the treacherous journey from their home village in war-torn South Sudan to seek refuge in England. After a grueling wait, Bol and Rial are finally given a place to say: a dilapidated house on the outskirts of London. Although they try to throw themselves into English culture, the couple soon begins to experience strange occurrences around their house. Due to the nature of the unexplained incidents, Rial soon learns that an evil entity known as an “apeth” (or “night witch”) has followed them from their African village.
Watch on Netflix
Carrie (1976) – Hailed the most faithful Stephen King adaptation to date, Carrie centers on the withdrawn and shy 16-year-old Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a social outcast at her local high school. After a lifetime of being bullied by her peers and abused by her fanatically religious mother (Piper Laurie), Carrie experiences her first period in the school showers and everything changes. Now able to fully embrace her telekinetic powers, Carrie unleashes terror upon her classmates when prom night goes horribly wrong.
Rent on Prime Video
Paranormal Activity (2007) – When young couple Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) move into their new San Diego home, paranormal activity immediately starts to occur. Katie believes the demon that has been attached to her since childhood is back to torment her once more and despite warning her boyfriend Micah what could happen if they antagonize the evil entity, he sets up cameras to record the occurrences around their home.
Watch on Netflix