The Inheritance

Some really attractive and recognizable actors in an acceptable horror flick. There's some mildly entertaining poking fun at each other throughout. Not the worst thing I ever watched.

This movie starts out boring...and then just gets progressively...worse...boring characters...boring plot...I believe the whole budget of this movie went to buying cover art for the blue ray and DVD. Don't watch it...don't waste your time..you want a good horror movie...go rent...Matrys or Piranaha 3d...anything...is better than this ...movie...I'm surprised Uwe bull didn't direct it..I can't believe I wasted time watching this movie...Even the camera angles/lighting...all feels..cheap..cheap ...cheap...The folks in this movie...should definitely not quit their day jobs and actually read the script before they decided to just work it for a paycheck.

What could have been an interesting African American Wicker Man turns into a chaotic shambles of mixed messages and genre incompetence. The film starts with a prologue focusing on slavery. I sat there hoping it wouldn't turn into some preachy guilt trip. Luckily, it did not. That would have completely killed it. Even though the disappearance of the white characters is met with complete ambivalence, which doesn't suggest racism, just poor writing. The slavery themes are confusingly mixed with religion and voodoo. As people begin to rise from the dead, some awful effects come into play. It seemed like they used a computer to do something that was created convincingly in the Victorian stage days. What it all comes down to is a rushed story and a bunch of characters you want to die. It also falls into familiarity, which is a shame, as a convincing horror based around slavery, superstition, religion etc. could be very powerful.

A family has a reunion in the snow where they plan to ask their rich uncle for money. However, the uncle has other plans.

What attracted me to this film was Keith David being in the cast, whom I have loved ever since "They Live". His role is a bit smaller than the rest, but he still had enough screen time that it went beyond a cameo and was quite enjoyable. (He also served as an executive producer.)

What might stand out for people is the almost all-black cast. Producer Effie Brown says the film was designed to be "universal", in that although the family is black it is not a "black movie" and can appeal to everyone -- the theme of a group of people stranded somewhere facing death is a common horror motif. And Brown is right -- although the background to the story ties in to slavery, there is nothing about this film that would alienate the audience due to race. Interestingly, this had been a concern of the marketing department, and hence the figure on the cover was made racially ambiguous.

For those who really find watching a film with black people uncomfortable, the inclusion of the white couple, with their cracks about black people, snow and barbecue, should help smooth things over for you. But if that is what you need to survive the film, I am not sure what it says about you.

The story itself is decent, though at times it drags on. The cinematography is good, though some of it came across as MTV-style with its quick cuts and time-elapsed scenes. I am referring in particular to the montage in front of the cabin where we see the snowmobile coming and going, but apparently never leaving the front yard. What I found to be the best part was the clever idea of making "The Flesh Is The Strength" deteriorate into another phrase. (Though why Shakabazz prefers English is a mystery.)

This is not the horror film of the year, but it is not a failure, either. The creators tried to do a little something different, and in that they succeeded. The goal was also to make it capable of becoming a franchise... whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but the potential is there.

"The Inheritance" had a rather interesting-looking poster, and that was what initially lured me to this movie. So based on the poster, I decided to give the movie a go.

Now, the movie's history is somewhat interesting, and it is what keeps the movie afloat, because the scares in the movie are virtually non-existent. The movie is labeled as thriller, but it hardly managed that at all. There are moments where the movie builds up some suspense, but that is as far as it gets, unfortunately.

The cast in the movie was actually quite good, both for the younger family members and the elders. The movie was carried by Keith David, though it wasn't his most impressive performance.

"The Inheritance" could have been more than it turned out to be, but sadly it failed to impress or shine. And it will be a horror movie that came and went without leaving a lasting impression.

If you like movies of dark nature, then there are far better choices available. "The Inheritance" is a tame experience, at best.