Francis’s mother Lilian does not say outright that she disapproves of him cohabitating with his girlfriend Olivia, but she sends them enough rosaries to give away as party favors if they hold a house-warming soiree. Unfortunately, Francis starts experiencing terrifying nightmares shortly after they move-in. Odd things start happening, including a freak accident that the less you know about, the happier you will be.
Something is probably haunting them, judging from the bloody writing that appears over their fireplace. Francis deduces it must be youth ministry counselor who died under tragic circumstances while he was at Jesus camp. Olivia tries to perform a purifying ritual, following the advice of her boss, Denny, the owner of the town’s New Age gift shop. Of course, that does not work, but she blames Francis’s half-hearted skepticism. He wants someone with more apostolic heft, but she settles for his tough-talking but undeniably devout mother, Lilian, presumably to nag and scold the malevolent spirit into submission.
Inhabitants could have been a lot more fun if McClung had more emphasized that kind of “stop-or-mom-will exorcise” kind of humor. The tension between the New Age and Christian approaches to the supernatural was also potentially intriguing. However, it is clear McClung has a better understanding of the alleged principles of crystals than whatever brand of Christianity Lilian adheres to. The particulars of the youth camp sound Evangelical, whereas her rosaries and crucifixes are as Catholic as the Pope (if not more so, in this day and age). This distinction matters, not just because it will distract viewers who know the difference. They are very different traditions that imply very different ways of relating to the spiritual realm.
Still, McClung nicely executes a lot of the haunting business, which makes Inhabitants passable by VOD horror standards. It just lacks an understanding of its central themes and characters. Not quite enough to recommend, Inhabitants releases this Friday (2/14) on VOD.
