It Lives Inside doesn’t have enough to distinguish it as a horror flick, despite Dutta’s clear efforts.

| Feb 6, 2025

While it offers an intriguing introduction of Hindu culture and delves into supernatural mythology we don't typically see in horror, it does little to add anything new to the oversaturated possession genre with basic jump scares, and teen horror tropes.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 29, 2025

It Lives Inside boasts incredible creature effects and strong performances, making it a real crowd pleaser

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 9, 2024

It Lives Inside leans into conventions but supplies plenty of spooky scares, one of which is ripped straight out of Insidious.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 3, 2024

This film is similar enough to other works to feel comfortable and satisfying, but with enough flair and originality to make its own mark on the genre.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 22, 2024

The cultural aspect, and the themes of isolation among liminal societies, are what elevate It Lives Inside from fairly standard genre fare. The beats are familiar, but Dutta's affection for horror and Suri's acting chops make this worth a visit.

| Jan 25, 2024

By moving away from using crucifixes and prayers as a way to ward off evil spirits, It Lives Inside is a small breath of fresh air. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 25, 2024

It Lives Inside isn't reinventing the horror genre. But it wielded subtle horror elements in a way that makes this movie feel like a hidden gem that more people should watch.

| Original Score: B- | Jan 25, 2024

There are deaths and torture in the movie, but not many, and those are not the point of the movie at all. This is a movie about overcoming fear with courage and sacrifice, and standing by one's friends. That makes this a better kind of horror film.

| Original Score: B | Jan 24, 2024

Despite occasionally toying the line of being preachy and cheesy, It Lives Inside is best remembered for its unique premise, intense body horror, and dash of teenage drama.

| Jan 5, 2024

The acting is all good and the plot is not lacking in moments of interest, but what it lacks is precisely what would have made it a more satisfying experience: atmosphere, suspense and tension. Full review in Spanish.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Dec 15, 2023

A classic supernatural horror with effective frights, but its strengths lie in its offering of underrepresented lore.

| Dec 11, 2023

It Lives Inside has the well-executed building blocks of a good normal kid vs. supernatural monster movie, with some bonus qualities that make it easy to recommend.

| Original Score: B+ | Dec 11, 2023

It Lives Inside at least isn’t just another mainstream horror weepy about grief – there’s a lot more that it’s playing around with...

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 17, 2023

Overall, it is a fun, creepy, weekend with friends film, that is a surprising and welcome addition to horror, with plenty of amusement to offer fans.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Nov 13, 2023

Dutta is an expert at evoking tension and putting characters into a seemingly-inescapable spiral of misery and decay.

| Nov 4, 2023

Some potentially rewarding elements of It Lives Inside make it seem like a worthwhile vision for the demonic possession genre of horror. But while the horror elements have vitality, the story never goes deeper than the surface.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Nov 2, 2023

Indian American director Bishal Dutta, in his debut feature “It Lives Inside,” quite effectively and inventively shows how the folklore of India can give us a terrifying monster that attacks at the most vulnerable spot: A teen girl’s self-esteem.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 30, 2023

Some fresh ideas spruce up this horror, but it’s an ambitious debut which forgets that less is more. A lack of focus is the real killer.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 26, 2023

Dutta adds a South Asian voice to the recent immigrant-experience-as-horror sub-genre, and ends his urban legend with unsettling ambiguity.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 25, 2023