Writer/director Chi Tran’s short film Inhuma draws upon rural Asian folklore to craft a creepy story. Beyond the scares that fill the film’s second half, the movie also explores weightier themes, especially guilt and grief. There’s a heck of a lot of potential here for a feature-length movie.
More specifically, Inhuma draws upon an old folktale that the living must sit with the dead during the night before the burial. If they leave the house, this invites the Inhuma inside, a ghastly spirit/demon. This lays the groundwork for what’s to come. Si (Benjamin Ting) has to decide whether or not to pull the plug on his dad, who’s been comatose in hospital bed. Meanwhile, at the funeral, several of his aunts remind him again and again about the tradition surrounding the Inhuma. The camera zooms in on their anguished faces and warnings, and there is a level of comedy here, which makes it easy for Si to just dismiss the warnings. The aunties are so over the top with their words and facial expressions.
After that scene, Si feels the stress of dealing with his father’s estate, along with funeral costs. There’s a really great scene where he flips out at Chet (Vy Le) about how he doesn’t have $20,00o to pay for a cremation, for instance. Keep in mind that he’s a relatively young man, and most of the burden falls upon him. It’s a powerful scene that underscores the way the film successfully tackles some of its larger issues.
Because this is a horror movie, however, the second movie focuses on the Inhuma, played by William Dangerfield. The creature has a long, bird-like beak, black eyes, and scraggly hair. It’s also quite a violent entity that poses a major threat to Si. The creature design does leave a bit to be desired, but it’s clear that the aunties were right. You don’t want the Inhuma in your home.
Additionally, once the power goes out, the movie shifts to a found footage aesthetic, via Si’s phone. From a narrative perspective, this makes sense, but the jerky camera angels and switch in aesthetic are a bit jarring for the viewer.
Overall, Inhuma has a lot more room to explore its themes and its monster. The short film balances the exploration of grief and guilt with some solid scares. Here’s hoping we eventually see a feature-length version.
