"INHABITANTS" (2024) Struggles As A Supernatural Scarefest (REVIEW)

What is it about Ghost Stories and Haunted Houses? As far as horror goes, they’re pretty far down on the gore scale; usually, they have a slow burn, rely on character development (not horror’s strongest suit), and can have the most complex backstories found on the big screen. The typical Ghost Story/Haunted House tale will involve the living, the dead, and, buckle up, one or more of the following:

tragedy/slights/curses/envy/manslaughter/murder/matricide/patricide/infanticide/incest/satanism/greed/theft/rape/wrath/revenge/bullying/torture/lust/lies/accidents/suicide….and that’s off the top of our head.

So, what exactly draws audiences and filmmakers alike toward this sub-genre? We believe it’s because, above all other horror sub-genres, these films scare the living daylights out of people. Whether it’s the Freeling Family dodging exploding coffins or George C. Scott watching a red rubber ball bounce down a gothic staircase, the Ghost Story/Haunted House movie can recalibrate the folds of our brains. The creaks and groans of your house take on a completely different meaning after being exposed to these films. Admit to yourself that you take the basement steps three at a time after turning the light out, thanks to Tobe Hooper, Robert Wise, or Mike Flanagan. When we asked to review Matthew McClung’s new scare-a-thon, “Inhabitants” (2025), we were excited to see if the strong wave of spectral spookshows we’ve had recently with “Oddity” (2024) and “The Presence.”(2025) Will you have to sleep with the lights on after this one or is it as timid as an old “Casper” rerun? Read on to find out. 

SYNOPSIS:

Olivia Burton (Anna Jacoby Heron), moves to California with her boyfriend Francis Morales, (Josh Rivera) going against the wishes of their respective family members. Francis’s mother, Lillian, is a devout Catholic who disapproves of her son’s cohabitation and makes her feelings known in the form of violent, religiously themed postcards. Despite these objections, the young lovers settle into their new, exciting life together. Their bliss is interrupted, however, after a freak accident leaves Francis physically and mentally wounded. Soon, he’s suffering from night terrors whispering in his sleep to a figure Olivia cannot see and sleepwalking to strange corners of the house. These episodes frighten Olivia and also suggest that Francis may be hiding something from her. Her investigation leads to a terrifying and perverse discovery; they are being haunted by the ghost of Francis’s childhood youth minister an entity who is enraged by their cohabitation and has come to punish them for their sins.

WHAT WE LIKED:

The leads in this movie, Heron and Rivera, do a fantastic job. They hit just the right note of excitement and uncertainty as a couple living together for the first time. At first, we didn’t know if the chemistry was there, but as the movie progressed, their awkwardness revealed itself as a choice rather than a distraction. Heron, in particular, carries the weight of the film and gives a remarkable performance showing the gravity of the unfolding mystery surrounding their haunting. Kevin Nealon shows up for some light comic relief and steals his scenes as a slightly bonkers New Age shop owner. His scenes are welcome relief here as the rest of the film is fairly serious in the telling. There are a few scenes where you can make the hair on the back of your neck stand, but they are few and far between. Kudos to cinematographer Pearce Healey, whose daylight shots and interiors are really well shot. McClung and Healey do a lot with a bungalow house, and we were impressed with the skill they showed onscreen. 

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

We felt that there was a missed opportunity here to add timely drama and stakes when it’s revealed that the Pastor haunting the young couple is doing so because he tried to save Francis from his burning tent and, while trying to rescue him, was unable to escape…from a tent. It’s weak at best and a bit laughable, unfortunately. We thought there would undoubtedly have been a reveal of an intimate relationship between Francis and the Pastor, and we’ve been waiting for it the whole time. This isn’t the case, and once you realize that the Pastor is simply haunting Francis because he couldn’t find his way out of the tent, it makes him less terrifying and, if anything, just pathetic. 

There are also conflicting messages about religion, both New Age and Catholic, that left us scratching our heads. While it’s OK if the writer and director have a message for the audience, it takes us completely out of the film when it starts to feel like an agenda. 

The last we’ll say is that the film suffers from a terminal lack of scares. There are a few moments of dread, but when the set piece arrives for a big shock, it completely lacks any suspense or terror. Nothing much happens except the fracture of a sweet relationship and the eventual confrontation with the Pastor’s ghost. The film distinguishes between a relationship drama with heavy religious undertones and a haunted house story about a tormented, half-burnt ghost. These elements should have worked well together but are constantly at odds. The movie fails at combining them into anything remotely frightening. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

There’s plenty of skill in front of and behind the camera here. The problem here is the script. Had the choice been made to weave the competing narratives together successfully, focusing less on whose beliefs are in the right direction and more on old-school scares, it would have resulted in genuine terror, and “Inhabitants” would be a solid entry into the spate of haunt films we see these days. McClung gets excellent performances out of his actors and shots of beautiful cinema. We’ll look for what he does next to see if the correct script brings the goods.

Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!