Search - Inhabited on DVD

Good Remake of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Joshua Koppel | Chicago, IL United States | 12/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first picked up this DVD I thought it would be original. Little did I know it was really a remake of the 1973 classic Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

A young couple with a small daughter move into a new home. The house is an old wreck that needs work and an old handyman shows up to help out. He seems to know more about the house than he lets on.

Meanwhile, the daughter has been telling stories of playing with "the fairies" who are her friend. This ties in with the head psychiatrist (McDowell) who is treating a patient who told similar stories when she was young.

How it all ties together is something you will have to watch. Few movies have ever raised the hackles on the back of my neck but there were a few scenes here that did it. The movie relies on atmosphere and quick glances to build the fear and not flashy effects and piles of gore.

McDowell turned in an excellent performance as a doctor who truly cares (an unusual role for him lately as he is usually the villain). The rest of the cast did a good-enough job and the little girl was very believable (I have a young daughter).

If you are looking for flash, gore, and lots of monsters, this one is not for you. If you liked the original 1973 film, the original The Haunting, or other atmospheric horror films, this one is right up your dark alley."

When The Huldre Come Out To Play

Brian E. Erland | Brea, CA - USA | 12/12/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Synopsis: A family of four, husband, wife, son and daughter move into a house in a nice, seemingly quiet suburban neighborhood only to later discover the dark and mysterious history of their new abode. The previous owners were also a family of four with a little daughter the same age as their own. Both parents died in a tragic house fire which according to the little girl was started by a group of malicious fairies she had befriended. Was the little girl insane? If she wasn't was there the possibility that the fairies would contact the new girl and attempt to destroy her family as well?

Critique: Released in '03 the low budget production `Inhabited' successfully avoids the expected poor acting, flat storyline and cliché dialogue that other features within the same genre tend to be known for:

1- The cast delivers surprisingly strong, believable performances, especially the little girl.
2- The film does a superior job of establishing a mood and feel that draw the audience into the story.
3- The presence of the diminutive, malicious "little people" is well done
and somewhat unnerving. You never know when they might come jumping out at you.

Certainly not a classic but I think most viewers will find this film more than enjoyable enough to stay with it until the end.

My Rating: -3 ½ Stars-."

POLTERGEIST meets GREMLINS

Gygos the Stupendous | NWT | 02/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"INHABITED is about a family that moves into a nice suburban home, only to find out that the place is overrun by evil little trolls called Huldre. At first, these creatures seem friendly, quickly gaining the trust of the little girl in the family. But soon enough, they reveal they're true nature as evil little jerks who are intent on killing anyone who moves into the house except the youngest member of the family, making them seem like seriously desturbed children.

INHABITED is creepy, has some good actor in it, and is just fun and cool. It makes a good weekend rental, and it contians very little mature content, so you can watch it your kids if they want to see it."

GRIM FAIRY TALE

Michael Butts | Martinsburg, WV USA | 01/12/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Relying heavily on the oddly perverse fairy tales of our youth, INHABITED is a fairly good thriller that collapses at the end. The Russells move into this old house that needs restoring after a fire in the fifties. They have a darling little girl of course and a prepubescent son. The little girl has imaginary playmates she calls "fairies" and Mom and Dad humor her for a while. Then a mysterious handyman appears claiming that these so called fairies are actually horrifying little creatures out to claim the little girl. Mom and Dad consult the local shrink and ask him to confirm that their daughter is merely enjoying an active imagination.
Of course we know the fairies are real and dangerous, and soon the little girl does too but it may be too late because the little trolls are planning on wiping out anyone who stands in their way. Early in the movie, the trolls or fairies are shown quickly and briefly and they have a rather menacing effect. However, at the climax, one can tell that we now have actors in funny suits and clothes pretending to be trolls and the movie descends into a rather "Puppetmasterish" type of horror..it's no longer frightening, but funny.
Megan Gallagher doesn't rise to the challenge of the mother; she always seems to be looking around for something---maybe her lines? Eric Lutes as hubby Brad is strong and supportive, but his role is more of a necessity than an addition; Malcolm McDowell starts out as a kindly old gent but then turns malicious when he realizes the potential for a major "psychological" breakthrough; the children do okay, but it's the durable Patty McCormack (The Bad Seed) whose quiet presence as the mentally challenged Olivia who brings the movie its finesse in the acting department.
This certainly isn't an awful movie; it just could have been so much better had they kept their focus instead of trying to overwhelm us with made up little people."