From the writers of The Locksmith, The Au Pair Nightmare, & Soul Mates, Joe Russo & Chris LaMont & from Director Alejandro Brugues (Juan Of The Dead, Nightmare Cinema ‘The Thing In The Woods’) comes The Inheritance which is getting a limited big screen release and also hitting video on demand July 12th 2024. It always makes me a little sad when a film gets a ‘limited’ release especially when the film is made for the big screen and The Inheritance is definitely a film that would look amazing on the big screen for all to see but more of that soon. I guess we just have to be happy that some films get a cinema release, even if it is a limited one but that’s a gripe for another day. 

 The Inheritance takes us into the world of Charles Abernathy (played by Bob Gunton) a billionaire who on the eve of his 75th birthday, invites his estranged children back home. His children aren’t sure why they have all been ‘summoned’ to attend other than perhaps its a birthday party sort of evening and straight from the beginning of this film and story- we the audience know that there is larger mystery just around the corner. And there is!  Charles explains to his children that he believes something or someone is out to kill him that very night and if his children help him survive until the morning- then the huge inheritance will be there’s, however if whatever is trying to kill him succeeds then the inheritance will go to charity. and we are talking a LOT of money so there is indeed a lot at stake. 

When I first heard writer Joe Russo talk of this project a couple of years ago on the much missed podcast Post Mortem with Mick Garris, the title was mentioned as The Last Will and Testament of Charles Abernathy, now title changes aren’t a super uncommon thing and happen for various reasons. I liked the title of The Last Will and Testament of Charles Abernathy, but I also like the title of The Inheritance, so all’s good!  A title change doesn’t change the story or the film I guess, it just changes the marketing of the film and can also heighten or lessen the curiosity factor for the viewer when they see the title.

I had such fun watching The Inheritance., whilst the film is set in modern days (they have cellphones) The Inheritance has a wonderful classic Agatha Christie feel to it, especially in the earlier part of the movie where the characters assemble, and we start learning who is who and what they are like, and more to the point- how they handle the situations they are placed in. There’s a great whodunnit feel to the story and having seen some of the other stories that have been crafted by the films writers Joe and Chris, These guys are great at creating really engaging stories that put interesting characters in extraordinary situations (see Soul Mates, The Au Pair Nightmare, and The Locksmith for other great examples of what I’m talking about) 

Often when I’m writing about a film there’s usually a standout. sometimes its a ‘this person was the highlight’ or ‘the cinematography was the standout’ but in the case of The Inheritance I think it was everything that was a standout. It’s beautifully filmed by cinematographer Vincent De Paul (Firefly Lane, Reboot: The Guardian Code) in a stunning house location in British Columbia, Canada, wonderfully directed by Alejandro Brugues and featuring a great cast which includes Peyton List (Tory from Cobra Kai), David Walton (New Girl),Rachel Nichols (P2), Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar), Austin Stowell (Bridge of Spies), Reese Alexander (The Power) and Bob Gunton (24, The Shawshank Redemption)

Add to that the perfectly fitting score by Mondo Boys ( Red Right Hand, Milli Vanilli) and you end up with all the ingredients that go into a movie aligning perfectly to form a wonderful viewing experience and a great evenings entertainment. As id mentioned earlier, the film has a limited big screen release and i cant recommend enough that if The Inheritance is showing near you then please do check it out. Whilst I didn’t watch it on a cinema screen, I did see it on a big screen and wearing headphones gave me the best viewing experience I could get at my home.  Watching The Inheritance in a cinema auditorium would be even better! The film has fantastic sound design and cinematography which will treat your eyes and ears! 

Check out The Inheritance. Treat yourself!

The Inheritance is produced by Paul Schiff ( Into The Grizzly Maze, Maid in Manhattan, Walking Tall, Rushmore)