The Inhabitant (2022)

The Inhabitant has a deliciously unsettling hook: it takes teen anxiety and turns it into a full-body mystery, where every shadowy hallway and strained family dinner feels like a clue. Odessa A’zion gives Tara a grounded intelligence and raw vulnerability that makes the creeping dread hit harder, while the film’s crisp, moody cinematography and steady tension keep you leaning forward even when you want to look away. It plays like a psychological thriller dressed in horror clothing—part curse story, part whodunit, part family drama—so the scares land not just with jumpy shocks, but with the queasy feeling that something is wrong at home. Fair warning: the violence is graphic and the subject matter can get heavy, but if you like your horror with a sharp mystery spine and a strong central performance, this one is an easy recommendation.

The Inhabitant wants to mash up teen anxiety, a family curse, and Lizzie Borden folklore into a slick whodunit with horror bite, and on paper that’s a fun hook. In practice, the pacing drags and the mystery feels like it’s stalling for time, so when the story finally shows its hand the twists can land as familiar rather than shocking. It does have some moody atmosphere, a committed lead performance from Odessa A’zion, and a few nasty, bloody moments that will satisfy viewers who just want grim vibes and jump-scare energy. But if you’re hoping for a tight, clever mystery or a payoff that feels earned instead of formulaic, this one may test your patience—especially given the graphic violence and heavy subject matter.