This Hidden Hulu Horror Gem is Perfect for the Whole Family
We don’t make enough horror movies for teens. Sure, younger audiences are keen on films like Scream and Final Destination Bloodlines, but I’m talking explicitly teen-centric fare. The kind of gateway horror movies that are slumber party scary, but not “Mom’s gotta take me to see a specialist twice a week now” scary. Last year’s Tarot was precisely that, the kind of stylish, frightening, and finely tuned teen scream we don’t see often enough these days.
Blumhouse is doing pretty solid work on the PG-13, gateway horror front (I remain a massive Imaginary fan), though a lot of the better genre fare we’re getting is exclusively more for a mature, adult audience. And when teen screams are released, they don’t often get the kind of buzz other films do, especially if they’re fresh IPs. Well, I’ve done some digging, and one of 2023’s best is now streaming on Hulu. You probably missed it, but trust me—this is a scary movie made for the whole family.
Learn more about Bishal Dutta’s It Lives Inside below:
Per Hulu: 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.
It Lives Inside is pretty dang scary. It certainly made me jump several times, and Dutta’s script wisely subverts several supernatural horror tropes. His demonic spirit (I won’t spoil what) is more tactile than most, and some of the deaths are gnarly enough to push the PG-13 boundaries. Plus, It Lives Inside has the Neon seal of approval. That means something these days.
It Lives Inside won the “Midnighters Award” at the SXSW Film Festival in 2023 and was given a brief theatrical release later that summer. You can check out our interview with director Bishal Dutta here for more insight into the film’s distinct (and pretty intense) scares. Now, if you’re a hardened horror fan, It Lives Inside might not rock your boat all that much, but for burgeoning horror fans, it’s as accomplished a gateway as any. Genuinely, it’s something everyone can sit down and enjoy. Next family movie night, aye?
What do you think? Do you have any plans to check out It Lives Inside on Hulu? If you do, let me know what you think on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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