Welcome to Knockout Horror. When people talk about Hollywood horror. They are probably referring to movies with decent budgets, well known casts and fairly generic plots. When I think of Hollywood Horror I think about movies that take few risks.
I mean, let’s be real. You are funded by massive production studios and have to answer to an enormous chain of command. What sense does it make to venture outside of your comfort zone? Your primary objective is to appeal to as many people as possible and get as many butts in seats as you can. That’s where today’s movie The Inheritance comes in.
Featuring a fairly decent budget and some big name cast members like Peyton List, Rachel Nichols and Bob Gunton. This feels like a movie with high production values and some money to splash about. Well, by horror standards anyway. Whether it is actually worth watching, or not, depends entirely on what you are looking for in a horror movie. And how tolerant you are of middle of the road, take no chances, films.
Hollywood Horror
Following the story of the Abernathy family. The Inheritance sees the family’s patriarch, Charles Abernathy (Bob Gunton), inviting his adult children back to their childhood mansion home to celebrate his 75th birthday.
The only catch is that he believes that his life is on the line. In fact, someone is coming to murder him at midnight tonight and he has a challenge for each of them. If they protect him and he survives, they will all be rich. If he dies, they are struck out of the will completely and will inherit nothing.
The movie plays out over the space of one night as the cast attempt to protect their father from the, as yet, unseen threat. The contrasting personalities clash and things quickly go from bad to worse. With the group splintering somewhat and finding themselves tasked with uncovering the truth behind what is happening.
Takes Few Chances
This is, pretty much, as generic as horror movies get. The Inheritance is one of those films you would feel quite comfortable putting on for a group of young teens at a sleepover. The scares are mild, there is limited gore, there isn’t much bad language. And the only sexuality is Briana Middleton’s top that seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to just how much cleavage is enough.
Originally intended as a Netflix movie before production was cancelled AFTER completion. The Inheritance feels every part the “appeal to the masses” horror. The cast is about as formulaic as they come with Peyton List’s Cami tapping into the younger, influencer mad, crowd. Rachel Nicols’ Madeline and twin brother C.J (David Walton) are there to fill in the unlikable, sinister, spoiled brat roles. Austin Stowell’s Drew is the every man good guy and Briana Middleton’s Hannah is the smart “main girl”. There’s really nothing too complicated here.
The mansion plays suitable host to some milquetoast scares and members of the cast act as fitting “victims in waiting” to help propel the movie along. There’s a slight hint of a mystery element at play in the story which is slowly unveiled as events escalate. But it’s nothing too deep. This is just horror with minimal risks. Naturally, this will appeal to some but it comes with its own set of problems.
Incredibly Predictable
This is one of the more predictable horror movies I have watched in awhile. It’s so formulaic that it falls victim to all of the tropes you may expect while following a blueprint that has been re-established a thousand times over. We start off with a bit of squabbling. Move on to a few false scares before getting to the real action. Characters stand in line like bowling pins waiting to be knocked down. You will see each of them coming and you will probably guess exactly how and when it will happen, too.
It’s just so predictable. There is an ass load of exposition and characters frequently explain things that simply don’t need explaining. Characters are very two dimensional and none of them ever seem to step outside of their well defined archetype.
The predictability of the story has a significant impact on the scares, as well. They are just so obvious. Each of them is projected massively, well ahead of time. The Inheritance is a movie that gives you a cuddle before shouting “BOO!!” at the top of its voice and wondering why you didn’t flinch. This is a perfect example of horror by numbers.
Worth Mentioning
Acting is fairly decent. Briana Middleton stands out for her strong performance. She is extremely likable, throughout. I really enjoyed Peyton List’s vapid influencer role, as well. It was fun to see Rachel Nichols, whom you may know from cat and mouse Christmas horror movie P2, again and she is solid. Bob Gunton is as fun as you would expect for a very experienced older actor deliberately chewing the scenery a bit. David Walton struggled throughout. Some of his line delivery is incredibly weak and, at times, he is beyond wooden.
The script is awful. I’m really not sure whether this was written by a non-native English speaker but it sure feels that way. It is incredibly awkward at times while being laughable at others. Some of the special effects are pretty nice. There are a couple of interesting kills and one particularly nice call back to an earlier death later on in the movie that works really well. It’s quite a unique idea as far as horror kills go and I enjoyed it.
Should You Watch The Inheritance?
If you are looking to switch your brain off and enjoy something really simple then, yes, you should watch The Inheritance. This is about as middle of the road as horror movies come. As average as they get and a perfect example of 2.5/5, or 5/10, horror. I really didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it, either. It doesn’t take any risks, it’s ultra predictable, it has a paint-by-numbers cast and it is about as formulaic as they come. Despite these flaws, it’s easy enough to enjoy. It’s one of those movies I can see non-horror fans really liking. It would make for a great sleep-over horror thanks to its very PG-13 nature and it doesn’t demand too much of viewers. Just don’t expect to be blown away or even all that entertained.