Ominous October - There's Someone Inside Your House (2021)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 96 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Netflix, Atomic Monster, 21 Laps Entertainment
Director: Patrick Brice
Writer:  Stephanie Perkins, Henry Gayden
Actors: Sydney Park, Théodore Pellerin, Asjha Cooper, Dale Whibley, Jesse LaTourette, Burkely Duffield, Diego Josef, Zane Clifford, BJ Harrison, Emilija Baranac, Jade Falcon, William Edward, Anthony Timpano, William MacDonald, Andrew Dunbar, Ryan Beil
 
Blurb from IMDb: The graduating class at Osborne High is being targeted by a masked assailant, intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim, and only a group of misfit outsiders can stop the killings.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Although There’s Someone Inside Your House did take the road most traveled many times through its story, I found it mostly acceptable.
 
It had that 90s slasher feel to it: a bunch of teens with exploitable secrets getting stabbed in creative ways. There was even a subtle reference to I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).
 
The thing is, I thought what would pull it apart from other films with the same inspiration would be the masks. During our monthly trailer stream, I noted that I thought adding the aspect of the killer wearing the face of the victim was fascinating. I really thought that was going to add something different to the story, change the climax up.
 
In reality, it was barely a gimmick.
 
I thought it would be more parallel to the idea of Freddy attacking during dreams, instead it was more parallel to Jason wearing a hockey mask. If anything, it was a red herring.
 
What really pulled it apart from other films was the update to the social commentary.
 

There’s Someone Inside Your House really dove into the political and social discussions that are prevalent in today’s society. Racial tension, gender, privilege, gentrification, etc. Any subject that triggers a huge response was in the script – even if only in one background line (such as miscarriage).
 
I don’t mind those discussions. In fact, I actively seek them out. I try to keep myself educated, and I jump at the chance to talk to people smarter than me that can help me in that goal. That said, even I felt parts of There’s Someone Inside Your House went a little heavy handed. No one likes to be preached at. Even with a good message. 
 
I didn’t hate it, but I understand the reviews here.
 
I just think if you push past those not-as-subtle-as-they-thought lessons, it’s pretty solid. It has a decent twist, the bloody setting is what one would hope for, and it’s been updated to fit our current times.
 
At the very least it makes me want to read the book it’s based on. At the most, it was an acceptable vehicle for Asjha Cooper (All American, Black as Night, Chicago Med). Even at the points in the film that made me sigh, she was still worth watching.
 

Cat’s Point of View:

There’s Someone Inside Your House. Just that phrase alone was enough to give me a queasy feeling – especially when you’re dealing with the horror genre. You really don’t need to even see a trailer to get an idea of what was going to happen. It’s refreshing to occasionally get a movie that’s straightforward from the title.
 
Though, when I saw the title for There’s Someone Inside Your House I imagined the film would take a direction somewhat like When A Stranger Calls (2006). It instantly called to mind that old babysitting urban legend. Instead, this film delivered something a bit different. I’d have to say that There’s Someone Inside Your House is closer to a mashup of I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Scream (1996). In fact, this production seems to give nods to both films within the setting and dialogue.
 
I was intrigued when I learned that There’s Someone Inside Your House was a book adaptation. I might just add this one to my ever-growing to-read list. Maybe. After learning that, I found myself wondering if the book, itself, is a love letter to those aforementioned films or if that was a decision made for the screen. Understandably, since I haven’t read the book I couldn’t advise whether or not they ‘got it right.’
 
There might be an advantage to skipping the teasers on this one. The story fit squarely into a more modern era with social media, smartphones, and the like. Paired with the new twist on the masked marauder, the material stepped up to stand out – a little. I don’t think it was enough to completely emerge from the shadow of those older horror classics, however.
 

Don’t get me wrong. There’s Someone Inside Your House was a gripping thrill ride. The visuals were on point and the cast was great. I don’t have any quibbles with acting or even cinematography. I even enjoyed the soundtrack. It was good…diverse… inclusive, even.  I appreciated that There’s Someone Inside Your House touched on modern social issues that we deal with in the current day. It was just predictable. I’m not sure it landed as twisty as the production team would have liked.
 
Let’s take a step back, though. The entertainment factor for There’s Someone Inside Your House was high, even if I could see where things were going. I still felt dread seeing ajar doors and the social vigilante revelations. I could easily see this working well with Halloween parties or high school sleepovers. I’d even say there’s some room to develop a party game or perhaps a betting pool regarding the predictable elements of the movie. Discussions that this film might inspire could either be brilliant conversations of revelation… or could become a volatile dumpster fire.
 
Whether watching alone or with others, There’s Someone Inside Your House is a decent way to burn through some of the hours during this Ominous October.

 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 48%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 18%
Metascore – 45%
Metacritic User Score – 3.5
IMDB Score – 4.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Movie Trailer: