The Inhabitant – Toronto After Dark 2018
Danny Elfman Teaches Music for Film
Three sisters committing a robbery discovery a demonic secret in The Inhabitant. In desperate need for money, sisters Camila (Vanesa Restrepo), Maria (María Evoli), and Anita (Carla Adell) break into the house of rich senator José Sánchez-Lermontov (Flavio Medina) and his wife Angélica (Gabriela de la Garza), hoping to steal the money they were told was stashed there. While searching the basement of the house, Camila finds Jose and Angélica’s young daughter Tamara (Natasha Cubria) tied to a table. Believing her to be a victim of abuse, Camila unties Tamara and brings her upstairs. However, the three sisters soon realize that a darker and more demonic force is at play.
The Inhabitant is a Mexican exorcism film written and directed by Eli Roth collaborator Guillermo Amoedo (The Green Inferno). The three sister protagonists get more than they bargained for when they find Tamara in the basement, who is quite possibly possessed by the devil. The possessed Tamara plays mind games with the sisters, bringing up painful memories of their abusive father. Eventually, Cardenal Pedro Natale (Fernando Becerril) is called in to attempt to exorcise the demonic force inhabiting Tamara.
It is quite obvious that Guillermo Amoedo has made The Inhabitant, with the aim of the film being the Mexican answer to The Exorcist. I have to admit that the film doesn’t really add that much new to the table, though it does end up being quite critical of the “hypocrisy” of the Catholic Church. On a more technical note, I found some of the plot hard to follow, because of poorly synced English subtitles. While not a fault of the film itself, I can’t deny that it affected by viewing experience somewhat. That said, I would probably still view The Inhabitant as little more than so-so exorcism film.
