The Inheritance (2024) --My Take On The Movie With Spoilers
Plot: On his 75th birthday, Charles invites his children back home but they are in for a night of terror.
The Inheritance is probably not the best title for this horror movie considering that there are several movies and TV shows with that name.
It can also be pretty much called Mike Flanagan's version of THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. The similarities are there but thankfully the ending is twisted enough to be considered different from the hit Netflix show.
The Inheritance, thankfully, does not drag into a dull two-hour movie. It is also not something you would describe as distinctive horror. It's a survival horror movie that has the right idea but is not original.
The Inheritance could have been saved with one really terrifying scene that sets the atmosphere of death for the characters who are desperate to survive.
Instead, everyone drops like flies easily and there is never the sense of foreboding this sub-genre of horror movies thrives on.
THE INHERITANCE Movie Summary
The movie opens with people driving up to a mansion. It's the Abernathys and they are all here to celebrate their father's 75th birthday.
What should have been a joyous occasion turns into a moment of curiosity as the four siblings are informed that the staff will be sent away and they will have to carry their own luggage.
Quick introductions: There's Madeline and CJ who are supposedly twins, Drew who is either married or dating Hannah, and then there is Cami.
They follow all the stereotypes of characters in horror movies. Madeline and CJ are hoity-toity, Drew and Hannah who are the goody two shoes, and Cami who is obsessed with social media. But she does claim she's doing her part in keeping the Abernathy name relevant.
The four enter and Miles, the caretaker and assistant to their father Charles, takes them inside. Cami has to drag her several bags inside all by herself.
CJ and Madeline clearly don't like Hannah and even ask Drew why he brought her since Charles asked only to see his children.
They then go to see Charles who voices the same emotion. He may be fond of Hannah but even he remarks about her presence. Hannah is all smiles nevertheless. It's obvious she is used to this kind of behavior from the Abernathys.
Charles then drops a bombshell: he is going to die tonight. Everyone instantly wants to know what the doctors said.
Charles assures them he is not dying of disease but that because of the way he has accumulated wealth, someone wants him dead. He's being deliberately cryptic here and so of course his children think that he is marked by a hitman.
In order to motivate them to help him survive, he tells them he better be alive by tomorrow morning and found by Miles or all their inheritance goes to charity.
The children are shocked and are ready to do whatever it takes to make sure not a single coin goes to charity.
Charles tells Hannah to leave with Miles but she chooses this moment to show how loyal she is to the Abernathys and stays.
The doors of the house dramatically lock as Miles leaves.
CJ and Madeline take to gossiping about Hannah and how she's brown-nosing Charles. They talk about the time their mother passed away and how Hannah was holding Charles' hand throughout the funeral. They feel Charles should have been seeking their hands to hold while grieving.
Drew and Hannah are talking about the family too and how Hannah is used to their taunting ways.
Cami, who is happily single, has no time to gossip and is on her phone, engaging with her followers who somehow care that she is in her family home.
Cami also enjoys drinking and searches for the wine Cellar. CJ finds her and expresses his disappointment at her, then leaves.
Cami then goes to the swimming pool, still engaging with her followers online. She notices a shadow behind her and goes to inspect the corner but doesn't find anything.
She then sits by the pool and puts her legs in the water. We then see her being dragged around before being lifted up. We don't get to see the entity so the shot is taken from underwater.
Eventually, there are drops of blood seen before Cami is thrown into the water. She is dead.
Upstairs, the siblings finally decide to regroup and look for Cami. They find her in the pool and pull her out. There's a mark on her forehead from where blood is oozing. The siblings are devastated that Cami is dead.
CJ thinks that Cami was drunk and probably hit her head and drowned in the pool. He blames himself for not trying to help her with her drinking problems.
The four then go to Charles and he comes to see his daughter. He expresses remorse and covers her up. He reveals that Cami was the first victim. The siblings think the killer may be locked up inside the house with them but Charles assures them that it is not the case.
The group separates and CJ and Madeline think that Drew and Hannah may be trying to kill them off to get a bigger share of the inheritance. They are not pleased with the fact that Charles decides to give Cami's share to Hannah.
They lure Drew and Hannah into a vault and lock them in. The Vault has limited oxygen and Drew is worried they both will suffocate when the levels fall.
CJ and Madeline are walking about the mansion when Madeline thinks she hears Cami's voice. She follows it despite CJ warning her she's imagining things.
Suddenly Madeline feels a force behind her lifting her. CJ is shocked too as his sister is thrown about before being dragged away.
Madeline awakens alone in a room where there is a portrait of Cami. There is blood oozing from the forehead and when Madeline wipes it off, Cami suddenly turns toward her. She then climbs out of her portrait, now appearing demonic. She lunges at Madeline but CJ arrives just in time with a shotgun to save his sister.
Now, we do see Madeline lying on the floor. When CJ comes to save her, he is confronted by Cami's demon form who is standing. She advances towards him, her forehead spouting blood. Frightened, CJ pulls the trigger. Demon Cami looks pleased before vanishing. Behind her Madeline is standing.
Just why did she stand? Did Cami pull her up?
Anyway, Madeline is shot in the chest and dies.
Realizing Drew and Hannah are not behind the murders, CJ frees them from the Vault just as the oxygen levels fall.
He tells them about Madeline's death but conveniently leaves out that he's the one who shot her.
They all come to a conclusion that it is not someone who is after Charles but something. They all try to find a way to escape.
CJ is roaming about with his shotgun when he sees shadows and the entity who is coming after them. He tries to fight off the spirit but only ends up being pushed down the stairs. His fall is initially paused by a railing which breaks and throws him down.
CJ is unable to defend himself from the demonic entity which comes to feed on him.
Elsewhere, Drew and Hannah find a room that holds answers to the mystery.
THE INHERITANCE Ending Explained
They find out that Charles made a deal with a demon called Mammon who granted him wealth in exchange for his soul once he turns 75. Since Charles wanted to go on living, he offered his children's lives instead.
Charles is not winning father of the year anytime soon.
Drew and Hannah storm into his office to confront him. Charles confirms what they have learned and tells them that with the last of the Abernathy children is dead, he is free to live on and his deal with Mammon will be complete.
Then in a shocking twist, he kills Drew.
Hannah is beyond shocked. She gets into a fight with Charles and he gets pinned under a clock. Mammon comes to get him and Charles is surprised because he is the only surviving Abernathy now.
Turns out he is not.
Surprise! Hannah was pregnant! She tells Charles that she intended to reveal this to Charles at the party that never happened. It was supposed to be his birthday gift.
Charles is sickened to learn that the Abernathy line continues with Hannah and that the baby is a girl.
Since its morning, Miles finally opens the door and Hannah runs out. We never get to see what Miles discovers inside.
Hannah is off to live her life sans Drew.
The movie ends.
The Inheritance had a promising premise but where it should have focused on the supernatural elements and the frightening scenes, it skims over it. Had they inserted more details about the threat to the Abernathy family, the movie would have been a far more effective horror movie.
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