Advertisement

Hello World Communications
Hello World Communications - Tools & Services for the Imagination - HWC.TV

Film Festival Today

Founded by Jeremy Taylor

“Inheritance” Is Far Too Generic

Written by: Adam Vaughn | January 23rd, 2025

INHERITANCE Poster

Inheritance (Neil Burger, 2025) 2½ out of 5 stars

Director Neil Burger (Voyagers) starts the year by pursuing a more independent approach to cinema, deviating from past blockbusters like Divergent and The Illusionist and relying on camera technique and composition with his new feature, Inheritance. The film follows Maya (Phoebe Dynevor, Netflix’s Bridgerton series), who, after attending her  mother’s funeral, reunites with her estranged father (Rhys Ifans, Nyad). As Maya gets more acquainted with her dad and slowly discovers who he is, she realizes that he holds many secrets … secrets that are dangerous. When her father is kidnapped by an unknown entity, Maya must trace her father’s devious footsteps to get him back safe, all the while uncovering the truth and dodging hostile enemies.

Inheritance mainly rides on a visually disorienting cinematography, with camera movement in almost every shot that calls for urgency and panic. More than in most films, Burger uses an almost handheld approach, making the movie seem like a mockumentary at times, while giving the sense that the viewer is immersed in the world of Maya and her father. This is mixed with numerous international settings, energetic editing, and often an equally dynamic score to bring the protagonist on a global adventure. Inheritance, without a doubt, thrills the viewer with imagery and intensity, even if it doesn’t have much of a story.

Phoebe Dynevor in INHERITANCE ©IFC Films

Therein lies the major flaw with the film. While Burger tries his hardest to take story and cinematography to its most creative heights, Inheritance is simply too vague and too simplistic to reach any sort of deeper meaning. Dynevor and Ifans give decent enough performances to keep things going, but even their characters are written very predictably. Berger relies on general plot points and erratic camera movements, but without a clear production design, the almost guerilla-filmmaking style seems disinteresting, which only manages to highlight that the writing is nothing all that special.

While Burger can be applauded for stepping down from high-budget filmmaking and trying an independent approach to filmmaking, Inheritance is not all that memorable of a film. By the end of the story the viewer has predicted most plot development, all the way up to the final shot. The stakes never climb too high for Maya, and the resolution feels unearned. Anyone who seeks a generic movie to watch on a lazy Sunday night will find Inheritance a decent enough watch, but at no point does this film rise above expectations, and in fact at times dips softly under them.

Rhys Ifans in INHERITANCE ©IFC Films
Share

Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *