Jun 29, 20151 min read

Inheritance

Review by Chris Olson

"Will-power"

Set in a seemingly normal household, an aging man called Jim (Bingo O’Malley) is facing the morbid task of getting on with dying. His daughter encourages him to write a will, whilst doctors want him to take lucidity tests, and as if this wasn’t disturbing enough, Jim’s stability is threatened by vivid hallucinations during the night that haunt him with his life’s regrets.

There is a supernatural vibe to this intriguing drama that fits perfectly into the shadowy atmosphere created by writer and director Barak Shpiez. Evocative and suspenseful, Inheritance is a movie that demands the viewer’s attention.

Adrienne Wehr, who plays Jim’s daughter Laura, is a wonderful accompaniment to O’Malley’s powerhouse performance, both delivering captivating scenes that have ferocious dialogue, and an underlying sense of friction that perfumes the movie like an old-people smell - but in a very good way.

Some of the framing has a soap-opera feel, making the short film feel slightly at odds with its premise and atmosphere, however, when the shots are of a thriller/horror style, that is when Inheritance comes into a windfall of its own. Light and shadow are used particularly well, allowing the nature of Jim’s deterioration to be picked up visually, whilst giving pathos to the story as a whole.

Fans of supernatural thrillers and intense dramas are in safe hands with Shpiez, who gets the most of out his cast and crew - in particular O’Malley who is a phenomenal watch.