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‘Inheritance’ Review: A Rich Kid’s Estate Surprise

Lily Collins stars in this peculiar cat-and-mouse thriller.

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By Glenn Kenny

After her tycoon father dies under frantic, fast-cutting circumstances (so much so that this movie’s opening minutes look like a trailer, or a parody of one), Lauren (Lily Collins) gets the short end of the stick, money wise, and something worse. She’s made the ward of a man, played by Simon Pegg, whom her father has held captive in a bunker on the family’s property for untold years.

Collins’s character, an idealistic prosecutor, is the one family member who doesn’t hew to its rapacious, arguably anti-humanist values. But on discovering her dad’s victim, she acts like a hysterical entitled clod.

This gains her little in terms of moral standing. But “Inheritance,” directed by Vaughn Stein, insists on maintaining Collins’s heroine status. In part to satisfy its plot twists, but also to connote an especially complacent acceptance of the idea that horrible rich idiots running the world is just the way things are. Ick.

Pegg is reported to have lost considerable weight to play his role, and from the neck down he does appear famished; too bad he sports a wig that looks as if it were stolen from the props department of “Yacht Rock.” He tips his hand to the true nature of his character by (spoiler alert?) delivering some dialogue with the flat affect associated with Anthony Hopkins’s most famous film role.

This movie aspires to generate the kind of rich-people-you-love-to-hate juice of cable TV series such as “Billions” and “Succession.” Ultimately, “Inheritance” doesn’t even get to the level of “Dynasty.”

Inheritance

Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes. Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes , Google Play and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.

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Inheritance Reviews

Director Vaughn Stein takes forever to get this movie on its feet, and the slower he goes, the more Collins stands out as inadequate as his lead.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jan 30, 2023

Alas, in the third act Matthew Kennedy’s screenplay devolves into thriller-film cliches... and it cannot outrun the many improbabilities we’re asked to swallow to keep the yarn moving.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Oct 20, 2022

As entertaining as it can be, “Inheritance” never rises above its rather silly premise. It leaves too many questions unanswered, has too many head-scratching moments, and doesn’t quite muster the mystery or excitement it needs.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 22, 2022

Still, the story as a whole never becomes that alluring and it leads to weak characterizations, shallow themes, and an ending that values shocking reveals and tiresome exposition.

Full Review | Jun 5, 2022

Count yourself lucky that cinemas aren't open for you to waste your money on this.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Apr 23, 2021

The silly plot twists and turns aren't the only things hard to understand in Inheritance. It boggles the mind that this could be billed as a thriller.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jan 30, 2021

Just awful.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 13, 2020

The characters are paper-thin and, even on paper, their motivations don't make much sense.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 3, 2020

There's a grandly gothic tone to this thriller, which uses editing and music to add oomph to an extremely corny plot.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 2, 2020

Inheritance is a joyride, plain and simple.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 26, 2020

Most will find the denouement leaves a bad taste in the mouth, although fans of the genre might be more concerned with the film's lack of excitement than its skewed morality.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 15, 2020

The groundwork is laid down for a solid film, the actors all have the skills, but this is what happens when a weak script weighs down everything around it.

Full Review | Jun 8, 2020

A lackluster, ridiculous and poorly-acted thriller plagued by numerous red herrings

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jun 5, 2020

Overlong psychological thriller has violence, language.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 1, 2020

Despite the interesting premise of the film and the fact that we get to see Simon Pegg in a departure type character this was not a film which lived up to my standards. Or, I would imagine, anyone's.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 1, 2020

As outrageous as it sounds, and the fact she wears stilettos to trek to the fort in the woods at night, and occasional clunkery, it's fun!

Full Review | May 29, 2020

Pegg's performance elevates the film as he creates a character with whom we vacillate, eliciting a myriad of emotions for this character.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 28, 2020

Inheritance is the cinematic equivalent of the paperback you leave at the beach or airport after you finished it, diverting but forgettable. Sometimes that's enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 28, 2020

Nothing works in this ludicrous thriller, which fails to compel us with its roster of monstrous characters. Lily Collins is woefully miscast; Patrick Warburton and Simon Pegg are criminally wasted.

Full Review | Original Score: 0/5 | May 26, 2020

After the dust settles in the end, it's amazing to look back at the bulk of Inheritance and realize how little of it ultimately mattered.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | May 26, 2020

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THR review: Lily Collins and Simon Pegg face off in 'Inheritance,' a dark mystery involving a corruption-fighting DA who's confronted with her banker father's sordid secrets upon his death.

By Sheri Linden

Sheri Linden

Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic

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As we all know from watching TV and movies (and from reading history books and newspapers), the super-rich are different from you and me. The endless pursuit and maintenance of wealth, status and power isn’t your usual 9-to-5, and along the way it’s not unusual to accrue one or two skeletons in the closet — or, in the case of the Monroe family in the would-be thriller Inheritance , a prisoner in the dungeon.

Said captive is played by Simon Pegg with a creepy inscrutability that’s the most interesting thing about the movie. Essentially a two-hander, the drama pits Pegg’s Morgan Warner against Lily Collins ‘ Lauren Monroe, scion of a New York dynasty and the horrified inheritor of her father’s nasty little underground secret. The monster/victim and princess/rescuer are surrounded by stick figures in this thinly conceived takedown of the ultra-capitalist set.

Release date: May 22, 2020

Now available on DirecTV, and adding digital and on-demand platforms Friday, Inheritance contains the kernel of an involving sins-of-the-father saga, its potential repeatedly obscured or undermined by the belabored, flat proceedings. The Monroes may be Manhattanites who are all about wielding influence, but the Roys of Succession they ain’t. Working from a clunky screenplay by first-timer Matthew Kennedy, director Vaughn Stein ( Terminal ) plays it straight, rather than tapping the premise’s extreme weirdness for flashes of cutting humor or Shakespearean tragedy.

Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins Join David Fincher's 'Citizen Kane' Drama

Whether Morgan is mere victim or a master manipulator, he’s counting on Lauren’s interest in justice and redemption, and Pegg makes the ogreish character’s moment-to-moment calculations engrossing, even when the story around him falters. Stein’s attempts to stir things up via intense flights of crosscutting only accentuate the crucial lack of tension, although he does build a certain level of suspense as the film moves toward its final revelations.

With elegant contributions from DP Michael Merriman and composer Marlon E. Espino, Stein has put together a polished, if dramatically bland, package. The Alabama locations (with a few establishing shots of New York) offer a generic opulence that deepens the disconnect between the world of high-level movers and shakers that Inheritance pretends to inhabit and the unconvincing one where it actually unfolds. The idea of a literal crypt of living family secrets has a movie-ready, over-the-top absurdity, but in this smoothed-over telling, there’s no dramatic juice, no impact — just pieces on a chess board, waiting to be maneuvered.

Production companies: Ingenious Media, Southpaw Entertainment, Redline Entertainment, Highland Film Group, Convergent Media Distributor: Vertical Entertainment Cast: Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford, Marque Richardson, Patrick Warburton, Michael Beach, Mariyah Francis, Rebecca Adams Director: Vaughn Stein Screenwriter: Matthew Kennedy Producers: Richard Barton Lewis, David Wulf, Arianne Fraser Executive producers: Santosh Govindaraju, Dan Reardon, Delphine Perrier, Henry Winterstern, Simon Williams, Daniel Negret, Anders Erdén, Seth Wulf, Jiayin Zheng, Rich Goldberg, Peter Jarowey, Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak, Joseph Lanius Director of photography: Michael Merriman Production designer: Diane Millett Costume designer: Shawna Tisdale Editor: Kristi Shimek Composer: Marlon E. Espino Casting director: Rich Delia

111 minutes

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Inheritance Review

Skelepeggs in the closet..

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After the dust settles in the end, it's amazing to look back at the bulk of Inheritance and realize how little of it ultimately mattered. It's one thing to try and pull the rug out from under your audience, but it's another to clear the entire room so that there's nothing left of value. Simon Pegg and Lily Collins act the hell out of a script with a fun set-up and a lazy payoff.

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Review: Upper-class struggles plus horror don’t add up for ‘Inheritance’

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Perhaps it’s poor form to do criticism as math, but the new thriller “Inheritance,” directed by Vaughn Stein, written by Matthew Kennedy and starring Lily Collins, just begs for it. The best way to describe the film is with an equation:

“Succession” (“Parasite” x “I Know What You Did Last Summer”/“Shallow Grave”) = “Inheritance.”

Whether or not the math quite works out, these are the references that burble to the surface while watching Stein’s family drama of money and secrets long buried.

What the math does prove is that “Inheritance,” which was due to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, can’t deny its horror/thriller DNA. Though the twists and turns are rather schlocky, the cast elevates the material, especially Collins, who is 110% committed to the role. She stars as Lauren Monroe, a district attorney and eldest daughter of a wealthy money man, Archer (Patrick Warburton), who suddenly passes away at the height of one of her most high-profile cases, and during the congressional race of her brother William (Chace Crawford).

While Lauren receives a far smaller sum than her brother in her father’s will, he leaves her something far weightier: his secrets, literally buried under their sprawling estate. Archer bequeaths Lauren something no one ever wants to receive: a secluded bunker where she discovers a live human (Simon Pegg) chained to the wall. Thanks, Dad.

The whole thing is a wild concept, hinging on the plausibility of every character’s motivations, which are all a bit squishy. Why does Archer burden Lauren with this responsibility? And why does she care so much about keeping it a secret? The audience is asked to accept their behavior so that the rest of this manic story origami (storygami!?!) can be folded around it.

The man in the bunker is named Morgan, and he offers Lauren a tale of deceit and revenge. Using these clues, a nickname here, a name there, a shallow grave over there, she chases down every family secret surrounding his decades-long imprisonment. For what it’s worth, Pegg and Collins do really interesting work together, the skeptical but empathetic lawyer drawn in by the mysterious prisoner and his tale of woe.

It’s just everything around the two of them that is incredibly weak, like the bland, underwritten roles of Lauren’s mother (Connie Nielsen) and brother, not to mention Lauren’s husband (Marque Richardson) and daughter, who are barely an afterthought, seemingly written only to give her some stakes during the big climactic moment.

The ambitions of “Inheritance,” which spill out of the bunker and into the courtroom, the congressional race, and even the Caymans, are outsize for its abilities. Necessary characterization is jettisoned for increasingly out-there reveals and story twists that are so relentless they start to lose all meaning, though Pegg certainly has fun with them all, delivering an increasingly campy performance against Collins, who quivers convincingly.

Though the setting of “Inheritance” suggests prestige, this is really just a B-movie all dressed up in a suit, and the sooner the audience realizes that the better, because it’s certainly never uninteresting, and at times, even fun.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

‘Inheritance'

Not rated Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes Playing: Available May 22 on VOD

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‘Inheritance’ Review: Lily Collins and Simon Pegg Spar in Silly, Predictable Thriller

Kate erbland, editorial director.

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For every good choice in Vaughn Stein’s sophomore effort — the director previously helmed the Margot Robbie-starring curiosity “Terminal” — there are at least three more that fall flat, victims of obvious plotting, silly tropes, and shoddy character building. A mostly predictable thriller, “Inheritance” spends the majority of its nearly two-hour running time doling out formulaic twists and undoing seemingly essential elements of its main characters, but patient audiences might be rewarded by its occasionally unnerving final act. Strong work from star Lily Collins , who manages to ride out the film’s oddest missteps, helps, though co-star Simon Pegg is less successful at the big swings required of his character (and his very, very bad wig).

The film’s frantic opening goes to great pains to enforce two major plot points: rising district attorney Lauren Monroe (Collins) is driven by her desire to help victims, but her wealthy family (including father Archer, who dies during said frantic opening, and her politically striving brother William) isn’t nearly as compelled to look out for the little guy. Lauren is in the midst of literally delivering the key points of her ethos (she’ll never take bad deals from big business!) during a courthouse press conference when the news comes in: her rich dad (Patrick Warburton) is dead, what does she think about that ?

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Given the fraught nature of their relationship — explained away by both flashbacks and other characters all but saying to Lauren, “hey, you had a fraught relationship with your dad, we know” — Lauren has plenty to think about it. Archer’s will, which pointedly gives the bulk of his wealth to Lauren’s mom (an underutilized Connie Nielsen) and William (Chace Crawford, well-cast but given little to do), only makes the divide between father and daughter that much more stark. But secreted away to Lauren, care of family lawyer Harold (Michael Beach), comes an amendment: the true titular inheritance, a bad one that forces Lauren to answer for her own father’s mistakes in the grimmest possible way. (Later, yes, someone will wryly say, “That’s quite the inheritance!”)

If nothing else, Stein’s film zips along to this revelation in the minimum of time: barely 15 minutes into the film, and Lauren has already unearthed her father’s worst secret, one she is now tasked with handling (don’t bother asking why, the film will never answer that seemingly key question). Tucked away in a bunker (where did the bunker come from? again, don’t ask) on the Monroes’ sprawling estate, there is a broken man (Pegg), her father’s prisoner for some three decades (why? that, at least, will be answered repeatedly, though never in satisfying fashion).

Given the two things that Matthew Kennedy’s script hammers home throughout the opening of “Inheritance” — again, Lauren is defined by her need to help victims, her family doesn’t seem to care about anyone but themselves — the expectation that her horrifying discovery would inspire a deep moral reckoning is to be expected. In some ways, that’s the film’s biggest, stupidest twist of all: Lauren doesn’t give a shit about Morgan (Pegg), instantly believing that he must be guilty of some horrible crime for her father (again, kind of a jerk) to have him chained up for 30 years. For a district attorney, the gal sure has a damning lack of interest in a little something called due process.

Hobbled by this brain-bending narrative twist, Lauren and Morgan fall into a limp cat and mouse game, with Lauren demanding that Morgan explain himself and his situation and Morgan, well, repeatedly providing evidence that he is the wronged party (what, did the horrific imprisonment tip you off?). As the “shocks” pile up and Lauren starts crumbling in the face of still more proof that her family is very bad indeed, “Inheritance” drags onward into more predictable spaces. Genuinely creepy bits are few and far between, but Morgan’s unnerving bunker adds necessary chills, as does Lauren’s growing sense of disconnection from everyone else in her life.

“Inheritance” chugs along through a slack second act, one filled with revelations and seeming surprises that never land with much of an impact. But perhaps all that predictability and relative boredom are simply meant to lull both Lauren — who transforms into the kind of scheming, hardened shark her father would have adored — and the audience into the sense that they know where all of this is going.

Though Stein’s film doesn’t exactly work up to a big surprise, it does unveil some new twists in its final act that hint at better craftsmanship than what was initially on offer. Even Pegg’s middling performance gets a big boost, and the actor is allowed to add some shine to an otherwise flat role. It only takes about 90 minutes to get there (though fans of watching Collins drive back and forth between NYC and Connecticut are in for a big treat), and its information-laden final minutes inspire far more questions than answers, but at least “Inheritance” attempts to right some of its wrongs before laying itself to rest. Now that’s an inheritance!

Vertical Entertainment will release “Inheritance” On Demand and digital on Friday, May 22.

Movie Review: Inheritance (2020)

Dalin Rowell
Movie Reviews
--> June 6, 2020

New York is known for delivering many thrills. From the energy of the city’s entertainment to the exhilarating rush of traffic — the city (and its surrounding areas) are anything but dull. And if you are looking for proof of such a fact, then Vaughn Stein’s (“Terminal”) latest thriller Inheritance stands as quite the example. But maybe not in the ways you think.

Right from the first image, Lily Collins (“ Tolkien ,” who owns the greatest set of eyebrows since Joan Crawford) makes an impression as Lauren Monroe. Lauren’s got everything — the family, the job (district attorney), the fashion (corporate vampire Barbie), and the most well manicured of hairstyles. But when Lauren’s millionaire father (Patrick Warburton, “ Get Smart ”) is found dead, her world comes undone.

Lauren’s inheritance includes a small sum of money (in comparison to the rest of her family) and a mysterious package. Inside, she discovers a key and a USB-drive with cryptic instructions. It doesn’t lead her to a new car, a secret mansion, or anything romantic nor glamorous. Instead it allows her to find the most dramatic of discoveries. For what is buried underneath Lauren’s childhood play area is not any sort of treasure, but rather Morgan Warner (Simon Pegg, “ Mission: Impossible – Fallout ”), who has been kept prisoner by her father for 30 years.

On paper, Inheritance might sound like the concept of many people’s most bonkers dreams. For it strikes that perfect balance of hokey but hocked. Yet the end result is something more mysterious than the secrets Lauren begins to learn. For it is movie that had all of its cinematic ducks in a row. Yet from the moment the Simon Pegg-sized cat gets let out of the bag, everything begins to crumble.

Pegg is an actor that has yet to gain the respect he deserves. He’s a comedic force that is a delicious blend of annoying but endearing. He can play the most lovable jerk or humble of common men with ease. But when it comes to dramatic turns, Pegg hasn’t gotten that moment to shine. He clearly has the ability and focus to achieve such results, especially when examining the brutal transformation he did to portray this role.

Yet in a pop culture realm where performances like Anthony Hopkins’ in “Silence of the Lambs,” and recently Michael Sheen’s in Fox’s “Prodigal Son” series exist, Pegg’s Morgan seems too little too late. There’s no denying that he has the talent and capabilities to leave an equally memorable impression on screen, but Pegg’s portrayal reads more grindhouse insanity than any sort of antagonistic threat. And whenever he has to enact a sense of creepiness when speaking about graham crackers, you almost expect for Bugs Bunny to pop up behind him and laugh.

Collins, on the other hand, is trying to ground Lauren in the most serious of fashions. A choice that, when juxtaposed with Pegg’s initial over-the-top energy, unravels in the messiest of ways. The clearest example of this comes during a scene where Lauren discovers another “jaw-dropping” secret of her father’s (one that is the definition of predictable). As she panics on a staircase, we’re treated to a montage of clips of Morgan exercising in a thrusting like motion. And with the constant cutting back and forth, the laughable quality of the sequence escalates to new heights.

But that isn’t to say that Inheritance doesn’t have its glimmering moments between its leads. For the best work between Collins and Pegg are in the film’s quieter sequences. Where the horrific details of the mystery are not the focus, but rather the simplistic human connection between these two soap opera level characters. It’s a shame that Stein doesn’t give more time for these two to relish in these scenes, especially considering the ridiculous nature of the third act.

The rest of the film’s cast plays it mostly safe. Chace Crawford (“ All About Nina ”) as Lauren’s politically driven brother stands pretty but lacking in any sort of personality, mostly due to his exposition driven dialog. While Connie Nielsen (“ Sea Fever ”) and Michael Beach (“ Aquaman ”) deliver what they can with the little that is offered to them. But certain portrayals, such as Christina DeRosa’s (“Bad Moms”) as a woman from Lauren’s father’s past, are more ham than anything served at Thanksgiving.

Though truthfully, the messiest element within Inheritance is the narrative at its core. To put simply, first-time screenwriter Matthew Kennedy delivers a Scooby-Doo episode trying to copy the work of David Fincher and Chan-wook Park. But rather than delivering a well thought out ending, the conclusion to this tale makes Scoob and the gang’s shenanigans look quite polished by comparison.

Overall, Stein and Kennedy clearly admire the great thrillers of the past. There’s a little bit of Hitchcock and Jonathan Demme sprinkled throughout their work here, both visually and narratively. But for every decently executed aspect, there is an equally bizarre element to makes the film lose its credibility. From the disturbing cosplay wigs used throughout, to dialog that reads more Mad Libs than Billy Wilder, Inheritance is movie that obviously has its heart in the right place. It just doesn’t know where to go from there.

Tagged: captive , inheritance , kidnap , secret , wealth

Dalin “Duckie” Rowell is a New York born, pastel loving film nerd. She graduated from The Art Institute for New York City, and currently works in the TV industry.

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Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – Inheritance (2020)

May 19, 2020 by Robert Kojder

Inheritance , 2020.

Directed by Vaughn Stein. Starring Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford, Marque Richardson, Michael Beach, Joe Herrera, Christina DeRosa, Lucas Alexander Ayoub, Rebecca Adams, Mariyah Francis, Chris Gann, Jim E Chandler, Harrison Stone, Josh Murray. Lydia Hand, Grae Marino, Ashley Pereira, and Patrick Warburton.

A patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family suddenly passes away, leaving his wife and daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy their lives.

A lawyer, a banker, and the politician walk into a bar, or in this case comprise a shady wealthy dynasty in Inheritance . That is until patriarch Archer Monroe (played by Patrick Warburton, a head-scratching decision that naturally comes to make sense the more the story continues to fly off the rails) suddenly dies of a heart attack while on a drive despite having no pre-existing medical conditions or anything putting his physical health into question. As to be expected, the news rocks the rest of the family, which consists of New York district attorney Lauren Monroe (Lily Collins), congressman William Monroe (Chace Crawford), and the matriarch Catherine (Connie Nielsen).

Gathering at the family’s summer home, Archer’s lawyer Harold (Michael Beach) reads out the will, which contains some clear favorites among each member’s titular inheritance. Not only does Lauren receive far less money from those around her, she is single-handedly chosen to be given an envelope withholding a thumb drive that comes loaded with a video from a distressed Archer rambling about his past and a secret inside the backyard bunker that he only trusts his daughter to uncover, but a secret that also must be kept in buried to keep the family legacy intact.

Shifting tones to briefly resemble a horror movie, Lauren descends into the darkness of the bunker eventually reaching a pitch-black room where a disheveled and unkempt man lies chained and hollered. Naturally, Lauren panics and runs away, but not before deciding to go back and ask some questions. The man says his name is Morgan Warner and that he is ready to spill the beans on some reprehensible behavior of Archer that left him kidnapped and barely kept alive for what has to be at least 30 years.

As important as the setup is, the plot of Inheritance doesn’t really matter (don’t even begin to think about it after the movie ends, because at least half of it doesn’t even follow real-world logic). It’s predictable and clearly doesn’t give a damn about exploring any dynamics between the aforementioned unholy trinity of the family’s individual professions. Instead, it becomes a psychological game between Lauren and Morgan searching for the truth among what is most likely a twisted retelling of the past. If Inheritance finds a following and is remembered at all, it will be for how goddamn entertaining Simon Pegg is as Morgan, quickly morphing the proceedings into compelling trash. The physical appearance of the actor is already unrecognizable (he looks like a homeless depiction of Final Fantasy VII ‘s Sephiroth), recites the ingredients of a key lime pie (usually during his workout sessions) that he desperately wants to try once regaining freedom, and swears up and down that the Monroe family has done him wrong.

Lily Collins is also fine, shellshocked at every new tarnishing revelation, and as a woman now questioning everything she knows about her family (she become suspicious of anything the rest of her family tells her, especially her brother). Her creed of standing by the poor and less fortunate while carrying out duties with honor and dignity is put to the task in the most absurd fashion possible. It’s a miracle she can even hold it together around such ludicrous developments without slipping into camp of her own.

And it’s fucking glorious. Credit to Simon Pegg for lately taking roles that wildly go against his comedic persona (I also recommend checking out the recent drama Lost Transmissions where he plays a schizophrenic musician) and giving his all to them. By the end of Inheritance , he has gone full bonkers channeling some of the rage from Al Pacino’s more boisterous cinematic meltdowns (think The Devil’s Advocate ), taking a rather conventional thriller and lifting it up to the status of riveting garbage. Simon Pegg and Lily Collins seem to be acting in completely different movies, yet it works like opposites attracting, as they skillfully wring out nasty fun from this basic script. Seek this out on-demand immediately; I’m not going to say it is Simon Pegg’s best role, but it will be hard to disassociate him from this after having watched it. He’s having a blast playing someone mischievous, manipulative, and dangerous, and it’s a rush to behold.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated Patreon , or email me at [email protected]

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‘Inheritance’ Review: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

One adjective you don’t hear much anymore is “preposterous,” defined as “contrary to nature, reason or common sense.” Yet the word applies perfectly to Inheritance, a blithering botch job of a thriller that begs the question: “Come on, are you fucking kidding me?”

The plot, such as it is, involves the last will and testament of Archer Monroe (Patrick Warburton, a.k.a. Seinfeld ‘s immortal Puddy), the patriarch of a New York financial dynasty who leaves the bulk of his fortune to his devoted widow Catherine (Connie Nielsen) and their politician son William (Chace Crawford). Getting the shaft is his lawyer daughter Lauren, played by Lily Collins . This talented daughter of Phil Collins starred in Mirror, Mirror as Snow White opposite Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, who couldn’t have put a worse curse on Collins than this misbegotten muddle. Lauren, brushed off with a measly million, does inherit the key to an underground bunker, however, that’s tucked away on the Monroe summer estate. Dad left strict instructions on a video for her eyes only. The catch? She must deal with the evil she finds there.

Intrigued? The Tribeca Film Festival must have seen potential since it booked Inheritance to premiere there last month. It was the COVID-19 pandemic that sent the film direct to video, where we can only watch now and wonder why this assault of suspense-and-logic-free chaos wasn’t also buried in a bunker with the key thrown away.

What goes wrong? Let’s count the ways. You can start with the intelligence-deprived screenplay by Matthew Kennedy, which posits that Lauren will descend into the dark underground and find — wait for it — a scraggly man chained to the wall. He is Morgan Warner, who tells Lauren that her father has locked him in this prison “longer than you’ve been alive.” That’s 30 years. Apparently no one on the Monroe estate, including the landscaping unit, has ever bothered to investigate what’s under that fully visible trapdoor on the grounds.

We do learn that Lauren’s daddy dearest has been providing food and water for Morgan and chat sessions so elaborate that Morgan knows every detail about Lauren’s career as an assistant district attorney and her life as a wife and mother. Does the ADA set him free? Nope. First she needs to investigate his claims since the story could ruin the family’s reputation, end her job as a prosecutor and squash her brother’s chance at winning a second term in Congress. No spoilers since even movies without a single redeeming feature have the right to protected secrets, though these reveals are beyond lame.

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No point withholding out of respect the name of the actor playing Morgan. He’s Simon Pegg , the brilliant star of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End ; he’s also pulled off the ultimate nerd hat trick of having roles in Doctor Who, Star Wars and Star Trek. Pegg’s sharp comic instincts raise hopes that he’ll either lift the character of Morgan out of the dungeon of cliché or at least mock the entire enterprise he’s buried in. No such luck. Pegg, wearing what appears to be Dana Carvey’s wig from Wayne’s World, is fun for a minute reciting a detailed recipe for key lime pie that he longs to wash down with vintage Scotch. But Pegg gets sucked down with everyone else into the maw of the film’s gross incompetence.

If we’re assigning blame, director Vaughn Stein should take the lion’s share. The resounding flop of his 2018 debut feature Terminal, which ambushed Pegg, Margot Robbie, Mike Myers and the audience into 90 minutes of surreal, pretentious gibberish, should have been enough to suspend his directing license in perpetuity. But nooo. His misbegotten and, yes, preposterous new movie hits a new low that will test the patience and the sanity of anyone who sees it. If this is an inheritance, leave us out of the will, please.

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Netflix’s Polish Murder-Mystery ‘Inheritance’ Is A Funny Whodunit With A Satisfying Climax

Inheritance (2024) Review and Ending Explained

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS

Part Knives Out and part Game Night , Inheritance is a more comedic take on a well-worn murder-mystery format.

Knives Out has a lot to answer for. Imitators of Rian Johnson’s whodunnit haven’t exactly been few and far between over the last few years, but Inheritance (2024), a Polish effort streaming on Netflix , is executed well enough to feel like a reasonable enough version – even if it lacks a little edge and has a somewhat perfunctory — though admittedly quite satisfying — ending.

Otherwise known as Spadek , Inheritance evokes Knives Out most obviously, but that’s far from the only influence. You’ll recognize the DNA of everything from film and TV to board and parlor games. The overall effect is familiar. A bunch of eccentrics gather together in a single location, one of them dies, and the others have to work out – along with the audience – who the killer is.

Sylwester Jakimow’s film adds a somewhat novel puzzle box element to proceedings, which gives Inheritance a slightly more distinct vibe than you might expect. But it’s still adhering to a well-worn template all the same, and it provides the usual genre pleasures capably enough to be enjoyable but not so well that you’ll recall much of the film after it’s over.

A Familiar Setup

Anyway, plot. The Fortuna family is a dysfunctional clan of weirdos who reunite at the behest of their millionaire relative, Wladyslaw, who’s happy to gift his considerable assets to the winner of a complex game that is really a sneaky bonding exercise.

Things take a turn when Wladyslaw winds up dead, presumably murdered by one of his family, and the suspects all have to play along to unlock the Fortuna fortune while being trapped in a snowstorm and investigated by the police.

I’m glad there are no eccentric inventor game show hosts in my family, is all I’m saying.

As is typical in this kind of thing, there’s a big ensemble, all embodying characters with their own specific quirks and interpersonal conflicts with their relatives. These things are all unfurled throughout at a respectable clip, with circumstances nudging characters in just the right direction to get the most out of their little oddities.

The usual suspects are here, from a naïve school teacher and sulky teenagers to the catfishing niece and not one but two characters named Karol. Everyone wants to win, and is ready to do whatever is necessary to achieve victory – hollow though it might ultimately be.

Inheritance (2024) Leans Into Slapstick

I mentioned the game gimmick earlier, but what really sets Inheritance apart is its humor, which escalates into gonzo slapstick pretty quickly and stays in that mode virtually throughout. It gives the movie more of a Game Night sensibility than that of a straight-up murder mystery, which is a welcome deviation, even if the humor – at least for me – doesn’t always land.

It all builds to a climax in which the truth is revealed and lessons are learned, as is to be expected, really. What more do you want from this kind of thing? Inheritance isn’t trying to deliver a new experience, but instead deliver a very familiar one in a slightly different way. And really, that’s what 90% of movies are doing.

Let’s Talk About The Ending

The ending of Inheritance answers some of the big questions and allows the characters to arrive at some important realizations. Let’s unpack, shall we?

Caution: Major spoilers from this point on!

Who killed Wladyslaw and why?

As it turns out Wladyslaw was accidentally stabbed to death by Gustaw, his niece’s boyfriend. Gustaw thought he was wearing his bulletproof shirt (it’s a long story.)

Wladyslaw and Gustaw have a history. Wlad used to run a game show on which Gustaw’s grandmother was once a contestant. She was misled and eventually tried to commit suicide after losing, leading to Gustaw being sent to an orphanage. He had gotten close to Natalie as part of a scheme to avenge his grandmother but decided against murder after falling in love. Wlad’s death was an accident.

The Fortuna Family Don’t Find the Patents – But They Do Get A Little Closer

Wlad’s game has a pretty significant prize – his patents, which are worth a fortune. However, since he didn’t actually intend to die, he also didn’t intend to give the patents away. So, after dealing with a couple of fake cops — who are really Wlad’s rivals trying to steal his work — and navigating a final maze, the Fortuna family discovers that the box is empty.

Given how much closer everyone has gotten thanks to the experience, nobody minds too much that the whole thing was pretty much just a joke.

However, the ending of Inheritance shows Henryk finally solving the Rubik’s cube that Wlad had given him earlier. It pops open, and inside is a hidden USB drive, presumably containing the patents.

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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‘Inheritance’ Review: Moody, Unsettling, and More Than Meets the Eye

Tyler savage’s debut feature touts some thought-provoking chills against a breathtaking californian backdrop..

Published June 14, 2018 Movies , Reviews By Sheryl Oh Disclaimer When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission.

To call Tyler Savage ’s debut feature film Inheritance “conflicting” would be about the right assessment. This unconventional indie horror film attempts to provide a fresh and unsettling take on the concept of “paying for the sins of the father,” and for the most part, it succeeds. The movie ultimately asks more questions than it gives answers and doesn’t indulge in many archetypal genre conventions. The sheer beauty – a painful, dreadful, languorous kind of gorgeousness – of Inheritance renders one unable to tear their eyes away from the screen as its plot disrupts expectations across the board.

Inheritance centers on a young man named Ryan ( Chase Joliet ) who has suddenly come to own a $2.5 million Californian beach house after the death of his biological father, from whom he has always been estranged. Ryan and his fiancée Isi ( Sara Montez ) move into the luscious location ripe with heritage. Despite having fostered a found family with his adoptive relatives and wife-to-be, Ryan remains troubled by a lack of connection to his late father and begins to investigate a man he never knew. What he finds is nowhere close to closure or security. Instead, Ryan unearths a pattern of unspeakable truths that are infused in the walls of the beach house, the soil of the earth it sits on, and the very skin he lives in.

Through a series of languid, observant scenes set against stunning seaside backdrops – or facades – Savage creates a pseudo-Lynchian landscape in Inheritance that never fully shrouds its dark and ugly secrets. Think the opening scene in Blue Velvet, wherein beneath the perfect picket fences and well-kept lawns of suburban America lies dirt, grime, and bugs. Yet, Savage doesn’t lay waste the stunning excellence of cinematographer Drew Daniels ’ flawless work at all. There’s no need for too many sharp juxtapositions against shots of writhing, wriggling creepy crawlies when one is forced to stare at perfectly composed landscapes a little too long. Eventually – like Ryan – one begins to feel their brain turn to mush (in a good way).

In this way, Inheritance builds tension and breaks down distinctions between real and unreal. The film usually doesn’t resort to employing traditional horror movie tactics like jump scares to frighten viewers. It isn’t completely exempt from indulging in a couple, though, but at least they’re perfectly timed so as to reawaken even those who may have drifted off thanks to the film’s unhurried pace. Daniels’ cinematography, Mini Mansions ’ eerie thumping soundtrack, and Shane Hazen ’s sharp editing all work together to make the house come alive, almost as though it becomes a character in its own right.

There’s something curiously lived-in yet suspiciously false about the aura of this gorgeous beach home. The land that it sits on and its connection to Native ancestry is explicated through a series of photographs of the colonial era, an omnipresent figurine, and even at one point, a vague soliloquy by Ryan’s neighbor. Despite the building’s outwardly allure, it is nestled on land that was stolen from generations and cultures that came before, and implicit in this history is a warning to those entering the domain that a curse is upon it.

The house stretches, breathes, and influences any susceptible inhabitant. Its sinister “personality” practically infuses with Ryan’s, isolating him further from the people who still love him, including his fiancée. The audience experiences Ryan’s dreams and hallucinations with him. They can do nothing but share his confusion as he detaches further from reality. This provides an atypical haunted house experience, devoid of specters and monsters but rife with uneasiness nonetheless.

The visuals are truly everything in this film, although they admittedly do the legwork that the characters themselves lack. Joliet does proficient work as Ryan, but plays an overall underwritten character in terms of personality and motivation outside the confines of the beach house. Given that large portions of the film focus solely on him, it can feel a little tiresome, especially due to the movie’s slower pace. Montez’s Isi is an easier character to love by far, if only because she takes as little bullshit as possible without coming across as cold and unfeeling towards Ryan’s plight.

Inheritance doesn’t rattle in expected ways. It is an untethered, strange experience that sits somewhere between drama, horror, and thriller. The film doesn’t settle for ordinariness for the most part, and presents multiple narrative arcs that reimagine what it means to be scared.

Inheritance hits digital HD on June 13 th .

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Inheritance.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 1 Review
Kids Say 3 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Overlong psychological thriller has violence, language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "f--king," "s--t," "bulls--t," "bitch,

An emaciated, unkempt prisoner is found in an underground bunker. He's been kept

Discussion of scotch; flashback shows young men drinking to excess and snorting

Flashback shows people caressing and kissing. References to a long-term adultero

Mostly luxury cars: Mercedes, Range Rover, Bentley, Suburban, Cadillac. Also App

Any Positive Content?

Lauren and William are both high-achieving New Yorkers who, despite wealthy back

Promotes importance of family and unconditional support with respect to family -

Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "f--king," "s--t," "bulls--t," "bitch," "whore," and several uses of "shut the hell up," "goddamn," "Jesus Christ" (used as an exclamation), "what the hell," "stupid," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

An emaciated, unkempt prisoner is found in an underground bunker. He's been kept in basically solitary confinement for more than 30 years and is chained around the neck and wrists. Many scenes of someone held at gunpoint. Two flashbacks show a violent vehicular manslaughter and its cover-up. A woman is raped; the rapist is dealt with outside the law. People are shot, kicked, punched. Someone is poisoned, killed. Two characters are shot to death.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Discussion of scotch; flashback shows young men drinking to excess and snorting cocaine.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Flashback shows people caressing and kissing. References to a long-term adulterous affair.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Mostly luxury cars: Mercedes, Range Rover, Bentley, Suburban, Cadillac. Also Apple products: MacBook, iPhone.

Positive Role Models

Lauren and William are both high-achieving New Yorkers who, despite wealthy backgrounds, have chosen to go into public service. But as movie continues, it's clear that they're each much more calculating and morally corrupt than we originally realize. Their mother is kind and generous and puts her family above everything.

Positive Messages

Promotes importance of family and unconditional support with respect to family -- but that can also mean lying and covering up lies, crimes, and misdeeds.

Parents need to know that Inheritance is a psychological thriller starring Lily Collins as a wealthy lawyer whose father leaves her a mysterious, life-changing secret in his will. Expect frequent strong language ("f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "whore," etc.) and a persistent sense of peril. There are also scenes of upsetting violence -- including torture, captivity, and shootings. The violence leads to more than one death. Flashbacks reveal a sexual assault and vehicular manslaughter that have lifelong consequences. Characters drink and snort cocaine in a flashback. Although there's arguably a strong message here about family unity and loyalty, that loyalty can lead to misdeeds, and the overall theme seems to be that rich people know how to cover up their crimes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (1)
Kids say (3)

Based on 1 parent review

Interesting and intense

What's the story.

In INHERITANCE, Manhattan District Attorney Lauren Monroe ( Lily Collins ) is busy with a high-profile case -- bringing down a billionaire Wall Street financier -- and with endorsing her younger brother, William ( Chace Crawford ), a congressman running a tight reelection campaign. Things take a tragic turn when the Chase siblings' rich, powerful father, Archer Monroe ( Patrick Warburton ), suddenly dies. During the reading of the will, the family lawyer ( Michael Beach ) reveals that Archer inexplicably left William $20 million and Lauren only $1 million. But there's also a secret additional inheritance for Lauren: a flash drive and the key to a bunker, where she finds a feral-looking man ( Simon Pegg ) in chains. The man says his name is Morgan Warner and that Archer has kept him a prisoner for more than 30 years. He promises to tell Lauren the entire story of his capture and imprisonment in exchange for a steak dinner followed by key lime pie. Obsessed with figuring out the truth, Lauren starts neglecting her career, her big trial, and even her husband and young daughter to question Morgan, who knows a lot more about the family's secrets than Lauren does.

Is It Any Good?

An initially promising premise devolves into a mediocre psychological thriller filled with plot holes and unbelievable storylines; audiences are better off skipping it. The very first thing viewers -- especially New Yorkers -- will scoff at is the ridiculous notion that a barely 30-year-old Lauren could be the elected district attorney of New York (where the real DAs have routinely been elected in their 50s and typically stay in office for decades) and that her younger brother is running for his second term as Congress at age 28 or so. It's extremely difficult to suspend disbelief, and much of Lauren's behavior also feels ludicrous. Collins tries her best, and she's a luminous actor, but she wasn't well cast, and the artificial-sounding dialogue doesn't do anyone any favors.

Pegg's role as the enigmatic Morgan and his interactions with Lauren are off-putting, as is his odd obsession with the key lime pie recipe that he's memorized and repeats like a mantra. No matter how much evidence Morgan presents to Lauren (as if his presence alone isn't evidence of her father's decades of cruelty), she waffles about what she should do, ignoring her important case, her family, and everything else in her life. This is director Vaughn Stein's second feature and screenwriter Matthew Kennedy's first, and their inexperience shows, despite the well-known cast and slick cinematography and editing. Ultimately, though, it's Inheritance 's screenplay that's the biggest disappointment, because the story, even with its various twists, just doesn't live up to its potential.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Inheritance . Is it necessary to the story? Does realistic violence have more impact than stylized or over-the-top violence?

Discuss the reason that "rich people" are such compelling subjects for psychological thrillers. Why are many audiences so interested in seeing one-percenters deal with (and often get away with) catastrophic situations?

Do you consider anyone in the movie a role model ? If so, why? What character strengths do they exhibit?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : June 23, 2020
Cast : Lily Collins , Simon Pegg , Connie Nielsen
Director : Vaughn Stein
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Vertical Entertainment
Genre : Thriller
Topics : Brothers and Sisters
Run time : 111 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : July 2, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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The Ending Of Inheritance Explained

Lily Collins and Simon Pegg in Inheritance

Released in May 2020, "Inheritance" follows a principled district attorney working to establish her own legacy apart from her prominent and powerful family. But when her father dies suddenly and leaves her his darkest secret, she inherits a lifetime of deception and disturbing truths that threaten to upend her entire life.

Starring Lily Collins and Simon Pegg, "Inheritance" received mainly negative reviews from critics, but if you aren't feeling up to visiting a movie theater or watching anything that's come out recently, then you could do a whole lot worse than streaming this underrated suspense flick . Of course, if you've already watched "Inheritance" and remain confused about some of the film's late stage twists and turns, never fear. Below, we will dig into the surprising ending of "Inheritance," including each of the secrets that were hidden away in that creepy bunker.

Be warned, there are major spoilers ahead for "Inheritance."

In Inheritance, why did Archer tell Lauren about the bunker?

One of the biggest questions of "Inheritance" is why Archer Monroe (Patrick Warburton) leaves his daughter, Lauren (Lily Collins), the video telling her about his secret bunker in the first place. If he hadn't left her the video — which even tells her that "the truth must stay buried," implying that he doesn't want her to free the man he's kept locked up for the past 30 years, but he just wants her to know about him — then Carson (Simon Pegg) would've eventually passed away down there, and Archer's secret would've died with him. For much of the film, the only explanation seems to be that while Archer was fine holding a man prisoner for decades, he drew the line at manslaughter.

However, by the end of the film, another couple possible explanations have presented themselves. The first is that Archer wanted someone to know what had really happened to the pedestrian he'd hit with his car 30 years before. After the promising young student — the real Morgan Warner — was killed and buried in the woods, Morgan was declared a missing person, and it's possible Archer's guilt wouldn't let him carry the secret of Morgan's fate to the grave. But the other reason Archer may have told Lauren is that he may have believed Carson was Lauren's biological father, and he thought he owed her the truth of her parentage. We'll never know Archer's motivation for sure, but both possibilities that present themselves toward the end of the film make a lot more sense than what's implied at the beginning.

Why was Lauren's inheritance so much less than her brother's?

At Archer Monroe's will-reading, her mother, Catherine (Connie Nielsen), and brother, William (Chace Crawford), are shocked when they each receive millions of dollars of Archer's fortune, while Lauren receives a comparatively paltry $1 million. Over and over throughout the film, characters reassure Lauren that her father loved her and that she shouldn't read too much into her reduced inheritance. Both Catherine and William even try to give her a chunk of their money, although Lauren insists she doesn't want it.

So if Archer loved Lauren so much and was proud of her — which he even reiterates in the video he left her — why would he communicate the opposite in his will? Lauren assumes it's because she became a district attorney, a career path that Archer disapproved of, but we later learn that he actually pulled strings to get her that job, so that explanation doesn't hold up. As with a lot of the questions raised in "Inheritance," the movie never gives us an explicit answer about what was really going on, but we can make an educated guess. It's possible that because Archer knew (or at least suspected) that Lauren wasn't his biological daughter, he decided she was entitled to less of his fortune. But what seems more likely is that he left William a much bigger share because he was the one responsible for paying the bribes that would keep him and Lauren in their high-powered jobs — a task that Lauren knew nothing about.

Who was Morgan Warner?

For the vast majority of "Inheritance," Simon Pegg's character goes by the name of Morgan Warner, Archer's former friend and business partner whose life took a sharp turn when Archer struck and killed a pedestrian with his car and insisted on burying him in the woods instead of going to the police. Morgan claims that he was determined to do the right thing, and that his principles cost him his freedom. He says that instead of allowing Morgan to go to the police, Archer locked him in the bunker for 30 years to cover up his crime.

But of course, by the end of the film, we've learned that this is all a lie. The prisoner's real name is Carson, and while he was indeed in the car the night that Archer hit a pedestrian, the actual events played out very differently. The real Morgan Warner was a young, bright student, and he was in fact the pedestrian that Archer hit with his car. But rather than being killed when the car hit him, Morgan survived, although he was gravely injured. The killing blow was delivered by Carson, who snapped Morgan's neck and then buried him in the woods. Morgan has been listed as a missing person ever since.

What did William and Archer do to get William re-elected?

At the beginning of "Inheritance," Lauren is proud of her brother William's congressional career, thinking that he's a decent and honorable politician who has earned his way into office. As she balances her own prosecutorial caseload, Lauren even makes time to actively campaign for William's re-election, speaking at his rallies and giving glowing endorsements to the press. When rumors begin to swirl that William's campaign may have paid for votes, Lauren dismisses them out of hand as a dirty smear campaign without an ounce of truth to them.

But when Lauren learns of the existence of Carson (claiming to be Morgan), he reveals that many of the truths she thinks she knows aren't really as they appear. It turns out that although Archer was determined to punish Carson indefinitely by keeping him locked up in that bunker, he also couldn't resist having a confidante who wouldn't ever be able to reveal his secrets to anyone. For 30 years, Archer used Carson as a confessor, unburdening his conscience by revealing every immoral act and shady dealing he'd engaged in. Carson informed Lauren that, in fact, Archer had used a middleman to deliver bribes in exchange for votes in William's first election, gaining William his congressional seat. What's more, William knew about his father's actions, and he was an active participant in doing the same thing again to ensure his re-election.

What was the significance of Gypsy Rose, LLC?

If Archer had truly wanted to keep his family legacy intact, he probably shouldn't have willed all of the skeletons in his closet to his district attorney daughter. One of the subplots of "Inheritance" involves Lauren prosecuting a massive Bernie Madoff-like investment scandal, and she's determined to deliver justice to the countless people and businesses the defendant in her case had defrauded. But in court one day, as Lauren looks over the list of the defendant's investors, one name jumps out at her, Gypsy Rose, LLC, which she intuitively realizes is owned by her father.

How exactly Lauren makes the connection between Gypsy Rose, LLC, and her own family isn't ever explained, but her hunch turns out to be right. She confronts her father's attorney, Harold Thewlis (Michael Beach), asking if he'd known that her father had been an investor in the Ponzi scheme. He admits that he did, but he was trying to protect her father's secrets. Lauren is furious, explaining that her family being investors in the case she's prosecuting is a major conflict of interest. However, Lauren never tells anyone else about Gypsy Rose, LLC, indicating that as much as she claims she's on the side of the marginalized, she's got more of her father in her than she'd like to admit.

What really happened on the night Archer locked Carson in the bunker?

There are two versions of the events that led to Carson being locked in that bunker. The first paints Carson (then calling himself Morgan) as the tragic hero, who got himself imprisoned by his friend for the crime of trying to do the right thing. But eventually, we learn that while that version does contain elements of the truth, most of it's entirely fictitious, and that what really happened is even darker.

It turns out that 30 years prior to the events of "Inheritance," Carson drugged and raped Lauren's mother, Catherine. When Archer found out, he forced Carson into his car and started driving toward the woods, presumably to kill him. But his plans of vengeance took a sharp turn when he hit a pedestrian, seriously wounding him. Carson finished the job and convinced Archer to bury the body in the woods, but while Carson was distracted with disposing of the body, Archer managed to knock him unconscious. When Carson came to, he was chained in Archer's bunker, where he was doomed to live out the next 30 years of his life.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

How did Archer die in Inheritance?

At the beginning of the film, although Lauren is told that her father has died in an accident on the family estate, the audience knows through seeing flashes of Archer's final moments that there's more to his death than a simple car crash. Archer is shown stumbling through the woods, clearly fighting the effects of something that's making him severely ill. Looking like he's already at death's door, Archer gets in his car and drives, possibly to get help, but he never reaches his destination. When the car crashes, Archer is already dead.

Toward the end of the film, Carson reveals the mechanics of Archer's death. Apparently over the years, Archer toyed with the idea of killing Carson more than once, and he even brought bits of poison down into the bunker with the intent of finishing him off. It would seem that each time, Archer experienced a change of heart, but Carson managed to get his hands on some of this poison, hoarding it until he had enough to deliver a lethal dose. On the day Archer died, the two men were playing chess, and Carson was able to inject the poison into Archer's hand. Archer escaped the bunker, foiling any hopes Carson may have had to steal his keys and escape, but he wasn't ultimately able to outrun the poison itself.

Why was Carson locked in the bunker?

We only ever hear Carson's explanation for what led Archer to locking him in the bunker, but based on what we know of Archer, we can make a few assumptions about his motivations. Carson initially assumed Archer was driving him into the woods to kill him after Carson raped his wife, but then changed his mind and decided to lock him up for the rest of his life instead as a means of psychological torture, as penance for his crimes.

However, it's entirely possible that locking Carson in the bunker was always Archer's plan, even before hitting Morgan Warner with his car. (As for why Archer even had a secret bunker on his property in the first place, that's one question that will never be answered.) Carson was a killer, but we never got any evidence that Archer was. Archer was wrecked after the death of Morgan, and could never follow through on his plan to poison Carson, even though he had every reason to do so. Perhaps Archer didn't want to torture Carson. Maybe he couldn't kill him but also couldn't let him go, either.

There's also the added layer of Lauren's parentage, which Archer couldn't have known about on the night when he first put Carson in the bunker, but it would've become a question in his mind soon after. It's possible that Lauren's birth could've been what stayed Archer's hand all those years, not wanting to kill the man who might be her biological father.

How much of Carson's story was true?

The brilliance of Carson's lies are in how they weave in pieces of the truth. Carson made several large gambles up front — chief among them that Lauren wouldn't quickly be able to research the name Morgan Warner, which would've instantly alerted her that something was wrong — but was careful to always give Lauren enough facts to keep her engaged in the tale he was spinning. He told the truth about being her father's friend and being in the car with him on the night he accidentally hit a pedestrian. He gave her the correct location of where the body was buried, hoping that her desire to protect her family would outweigh her duty as a DA to report it.

He also told her the truth about many of her father's secrets, including the mistress he'd been having an affair with for many years and the son they shared, as well as the name of the man who brokered the bribes that had secured both Lauren's and William's jobs. He also knew plenty of details about Lauren's personal life and her family, thanks to Archer's compulsion to share the details of his life during his visits with Carson. Considering how many of Carson's tales turned out to be true, it's no wonder that Lauren completely bought into his story ... although it still would've been a good idea to wait on the fingerprint match before setting him free.

What's the deal with the Key lime pie recipe?

Throughout "Inheritance," whenever Carson is alone, he repeats the ingredients list of a Key lime pie recipe like it's a mantra. He even asks Lauren for a piece of Key lime pie as one of his requirements to get him to talk, but when he has it in front of him, he just repeats the ingredients to himself while staring at the piece of untouched pie. Later, once Lauren sets him free, he gives her a well-worn magazine page that has the recipe printed on it, saying that he'd always promised himself that whenever he got out, he'd treat himself to a piece of Key lime pie. He told her that, as simple as it was, the idea of his freedom pie was what kept him going all these years. That explains why he didn't eat the piece she brought him in the bunker. He wasn't free yet, so he hadn't earned the pie.

So much of what Carson tells Lauren turns out to be a carefully crafted ruse, but his explanation for the pie actually seems to be the truth. As much as Carson turns out to be a master manipulator and a devious liar, he wasn't lying about how much he yearned to be free or about how he latched onto the simple idea of a Key lime pie as the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel.

What was Carson's plan at the ending of Inheritance?

You'd think that after spending 30 years locked in a bunker, the idea of taking a chartered jet to a tropical island where you'd be handed a $1 million bank account would be pretty tempting. But Carson's desire for revenge outweighs the temptation to spend the rest of his days in quiet comfort, leading him to kill Harold, Archer's attorney, and return to the Monroe family estate instead of departing on the jet. Once there, Carson abducts Catherine and uses her to lure in Lauren, whom he also subdues.

Once he's got them both captive in the bunker, Carson does a lot of maniacal monologuing , and he seems to change course a few times on what he ultimately intends to do. But it seems as though his actual long-term plan is to keep Catherine and Lauren as his prisoners in the bunker, subjecting them to the same sort of treatment Archer inflicted upon him. He also intends to kill William by slitting his throat, but that seems to be the only other murder Carson is plotting. As for Lauren's husband and daughter, he intends to leave them untouched, wondering why Lauren abandoned them for the rest of their lives. But where Carson plans to live or how he intends to provide for himself while keeping Catherine and Lauren locked up are never addressed, so for all of Carson's careful planning, it seems like he overlooked a few key details.

Was Carson really Lauren's biological father?

The very last claim Carson makes before he's shot and killed by Catherine is possibly the most earth-shattering of all for Lauren ... he says he's her biological father, implying that she was conceived on the night that he raped her mother. Whether this is true is never explicitly confirmed, and Catherine and Lauren burn the bunker, along with Carson's body, before any DNA tests can be performed. Catherine assures Lauren that she's a Monroe, and that's good enough for her daughter.

But there's a decent amount of evidence that Carson could've been Lauren's father, or at least that Archer suspected he was. There's the fact that Lauren always felt distant from Archer and that her monetary inheritance was much less than her brother's. There's the amount of information that Archer passed along to Carson about Lauren and her family, perhaps to allow him some glimpse into the life of the child he was never supposed to meet. Plus, there's the fact that Archer kept Carson alive, and that he thought it was important to tell Lauren that Carson existed. Maybe Carson wasn't her biological father, after all, but Archer's actions seemed to indicate that he hadn't ruled out the possibility, and he wanted to give Lauren the opportunity to know the truth, even if he never wanted her to reveal it.

Screen Rant

The inheritance review: a clever genre-shifting horror that holds itself back from greatness.

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The Inheritance sets up expectations but cleverly shifts gears from mystery to horror.
The film takes unexpected turns, but suffers from weak character development and a flawed script.
Despite the Victorian-era mansion's set design and cinematography creating a spooky atmosphere, the film's ambition isn't met with stellar execution.

The Inheritance (2024) follows the rich Abernathy family — 75-year-old Charles Abernathy invites his family for a birthday celebration and, despite tensions between the Abernathy children, they comply. Once at the grandiose mansion that gives off creepy old money vibes, the grown kids are told there is actually something else they're there for, and that is their substantial inheritance. Someone or something is going to kill Charles tonight, and he puts his entire estate and wealth on the line. If anything happens to him, all of it will be donated.

The Inheritance (2024)

If you are getting strong Knives Out vibes, put those feelings aside because screenwriters Chris LaMont and Joe Russo intend to lure you in with false expectations. What audiences should really be expecting is Ready or Not meets The Fall of House of Usher , with a touch of The Haunting of Hill House.

The Inheritance Takes A Pleasantly Surprising Turn

But it can't build to something great.

When we meet our cast of potential victims and suspects, there is a sense that we know them from before. Four children with wildly expected personas — Drew (Austin Stowell), who got away from the family, the twins Madeline and CJ (Rachel Nichols and David Walton), who care a bit too much about money, and the youngest, Cami (Peyton List), who values social media more than anything else. Then there is Drew's wife, Hannah (Briana Middleton), the outsider coming in, and the audience surrogate. Through these characters, The Inheritance 's flaws shine through the most.

Once we meet the family, we think we know what to expect — infighting, betrayal, lies and murder. The Inheritance isn't that, though, making for an unexpected but pleasant surprise for those who haven't watched the trailer. The setup is fantastic when you don't know how this will unfold. But once the genre shifts, the film doesn't take the necessary steps to maintain the momentum. The familial dynamic is haphazardly put together, the characters are thinly written, and the acting isn't much better.

The film manages to be a very straightforward horror, but the lackluster character work diminishes whatever good comes from its genre shift...

After horror fans were treated to Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher , we're primed to expect something similar when The Inheritance turns sharply from mystery to horror. The setup feels familiar, as do the character tropes, but the film flounders because it lacks substantive character work, which only excretes the thin script. Sure, there is fun in rooting against bad people, but the entertainment is hollow if there is no real characterization or a sense of understanding.

Production Design & Atmosphere Carries The Inheritance

The cast of The Inheritance hold flashlights in the dark in The Inheritance still

The film's visuals carry much of the film. The set design for the Victorian-era mansion is just right, giving enough to create a spooky and thrilling atmosphere. There are moments of horror that don't quite land, but the effort in crafting the design and feel of the space and its inhabitants is done well enough. Cinematographer Vincent De Paula captures the place's opulence and excessive extravagance very well, but most impressive is his ability to create the feeling that something is just not right in this large, empty estate without exaggerating it.

Alejandro Brugués is a capable director, but without a solid script, there are way too many moments where the momentum comes to a sharp halt due to the ineptness of the writing. Ultimately, despite some heavy lifting behind the scenes, the ambition is not met with stellar execution.

The Inheritance Doesn't Leave A Strong Lasting Impression

Russo and LaMont's script is far from solid, but with a little more done to flesh out the characters, this genre-bending exploration of familial bonds would have left a lasting impression. The cast don't manage to escape the confines of archetypes to give interesting performances, except for Briana Middleton and Peyton Lists, whose attempts are more palpable than the rest.

The film manages to be a very straightforward horror, but the lackluster character work diminishes whatever good comes from its genre shift, and the shift is substantial. Defying expectations is usually a great tactic, and The Inheritance does at least get good when it takes a sharp turn from being a Knives Out knockoff to the family horror it wants to be. There may not be much to commend it, but the attempt is admirable, and maybe that will win some folks over.

The Inheritance is now playing in select theaters and is available on demand. The film is 85 minutes long.

On the eve of his 75th birthday, billionaire Charles Abernathy invites his estranged children back home out of fear that tonight someone or something is going to kill him. He puts each of their inheritances on the line, to ensure they'll help keep him alive.

Great set & production design
An engaging premise
Poorly crafted characters
Thinly written script

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Reviewed online, Aug. 11, 2024. In Sarajevo Film Festival (opener). Running time: 98 MIN. (Original title: 'Nakon ljeta')

Production: (Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Romania-Slovenia-Serbia) A Propeler Film production in coproduction with Production, Obala Art Centar, Baš Čelik, Tramal Films, with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Center, the Ministry of Culture and of Sports of Sarajevo Canton, Slovenian Film Center, Film Center of Serbia, Sarajevo Cinematography Foundation, Romanian Film Center, Subprogram MEDIA of the Creative Europe Program for project development, BH Telecom. Producers: Lana Matić, Boris T. Matić. Co-producers: Jelena Mitrović, Srdan Golubović, Mirsad Purivatra, Jovan Marjanović, Anamaria Antoci, Miha Černec, Jožko Rutar.
Crew: Director: Danis Tanović. Screenplay: Anja Matković, Nikola Kuprešanin, Danis Tanović. Camera: Miloš Jaćimović. Editor: Redžinald Šimek. Music: Livina Tanović.
With: Anja Matković, Uliks Fehmiu, Goran Navojec, Mario Knezović, Marija Škaričić, Mirela Brekalo, Snježana Sinovčić, Luka Juričić, Boris Ler, Ivana Roščić, Jadranka Matković. (Serbo-Croatian, English dialogue)

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“Mothers’ Instinct” gets by on its pulpy potential more than anything else. There’s something intrinsically appealing about watching two phenomenal actresses go head-to-head in an old-fashioned melodrama. Still, director Benoit Delhomme (the excellent cinematographer who shot “ A Most Wanted Man ,” “At Eternity’s Gate,” and many more) can’t quite figure out what movie he’s making. At its best, it feels like what used to be called a 'women’s picture,' a descendant of films like “Leave Her to Heaven” or “Gaslight." But there’s a deep undercurrent of sadness in this film that hints at a more traditional modern grief drama, too, feeling particularly at odds with its ludicrous final act. Yet, in the middle of this tonally chaotic film, there are two riveting performances from two women likely attracted to all the things that “Mothers’ Instinct” could have been -- provided a tighter directorial voice and a bit more narrative precision.

Based loosely on a French film called “Duelles,” “Mothers’ Instinct” unfolds in a Hollywood version of ‘60s suburban America. In this place, everyone gets dressed up for even the most minor occasions. The women are always gorgeously fashioned, and the men wear ties. Delhomme’s film, from a script by Sarah Conradt , takes place almost entirely in the homes of two women: Alice ( Jessica Chastain ) and Celine ( Anne Hathaway ). In the film’s rushed opening scenes, we meet the husbands, Simon ( Anders Danielsen Lie ) and Damian ( Josh Charles ). There are hints of a little tension in both marriages, and it’s revealed that Celine and Damian struggled to have their only child, Max ( Baylen D. Bielitz ). While Max plays with Alice & Simon’s son Theo (Eamon O’Connell), we learn that the latter is allergic to peanuts in a narrative move that would accurately be called “Chekhov’s Cookie.” (You don’t reveal an allergy in a film this tightly plotted if it’s not coming back later.)

One day, Alice looks out her window and sees Max on the railing of the family’s third-floor balcony, trying to hang a birdhouse he made at school. She breaks into a full panic, trying to run through a shortcut between the two houses that the kids had made, but she’s unable to get there before Max falls to his death as his mom vacuums inside. Of course, both women go into full-blown grief spirals. Celine’s mental break comes from the unimaginable loss of a child, while Alice struggles with the question of whether she tried hard enough to get to Max before he fell. There’s a powerfully emotional film buried under the noir twists of this one, a movie about how people are forced to move on after something has shattered their entire lives. How could you even get through the day, much less look at your neighbor the same way again?

Alice starts to think that Celine is moving on in a manner that has earned the film comparisons to Hitchcock. Without spoiling, Max isn’t the last member of these families to die, and Alice is the only one who suspects that Celine’s grief has turned to vengeance. The midsection of “Mothers’ Instinct” is its strongest, one in which we’re forced to question if Celine has turned to violence or if these are all coincidences. Couldn’t it just be Alice’s guilt that has led her to suspect the worst? Hathaway and Chastain are truly excellent in this midsection, including one of my favorite line readings of the former’s career. With her work in the superior " Eileen " and now this, Hathaway is proving how much she would have been totally at home in a different era of Hollywood, and I'm here for it. Both performers sometimes lean into histrionics, but they’re well-modulated when the script calls for it, truly holding the film together with each of their interesting choices as actresses.

However, a nagging struggle to figure out the kind of movie that “Mothers’ Instinct” wants to be turns into a serious detriment in the final third. It wants to be both Sirk and Hitch but doesn’t have the richness of the former or the teeth of the latter, which makes some of the truly insane decisions of the ending feel abruptly out of place. More time developing a sense of tension might have helped as it’s a film that too often feels rushed from plot twist to plot twist – it’s only 94 minutes – when giving its mysteries more time to breathe would have been more effective. Ultimately, it lacks a consistent atmosphere, leaving its flawless leading ladies stuck in a movie that can shine a spotlight on them without giving them enough emotional blocking to feel anything but confined by it.

On VOD now.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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INHERITANCE MOVIE REVIEW (2020) SPOILER FREE Simple Review| one slide review

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Inheritance movie review & film summary (2020)
Inheritance. A movie with a don't-think-too-hard-about-this premise can work if it sustains its own logic. It doesn't have to hold together in our world, so long as we believe it will hold together in theirs. But "Inheritance" is the case of a film that's so full of holes, it was likely recut from an earlier version and not quite stitched back ...
Inheritance (2020)
A patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family suddenly passes away, leaving his wife and daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy their lives.
'Inheritance' Review: A Rich Kid's Estate Surprise
This movie aspires to generate the kind of rich-people-you-love-to-hate juice of cable TV series such as "Billions" and "Succession.". Ultimately, "Inheritance" doesn't even get to ...
'Inheritance' Review: Lily Collins Deals With Daddy's Little Secret
'Inheritance': Film Review Lily Collins "inherits" her tycoon father's terrible secret — a captive Simon Pegg — in this overlong, implausible thriller.
Inheritance
Inheritance is a joyride, plain and simple. Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 26, 2020. Most will find the denouement leaves a bad taste in the mouth, although fans of the genre might be ...
Inheritance (2020)
Inheritance: Directed by Vaughn Stein. With Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford. The patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family suddenly passes away, leaving his daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy the family.
Inheritance (2020) Movie Review
Inheritance has bold ideas and lays the groundwork for them with gusto right from the get-go. However, it doesn't take long before its story feels as if it's going to crumble under the weight of its own ambitions. It jumps into its main mystery fairly quickly, with Lauren discovering the bunker at the beginning of the film's first half, but ...
'Inheritance': Film Review
THR review: Lily Collins and Simon Pegg face off in 'Inheritance,' a dark mystery involving a corruption-fighting DA who's confronted with her banker father's sordid secrets upon his death.
Inheritance Review
Lily Collins plays a lawyer who literally inherits her father's dark past, in the form of a captive Simon Pegg, in this undercooked thriller.
'Inheritance' review: Lily Collins, Simon Pegg lead thriller
Review: Upper-class struggles plus horror don't add up for 'Inheritance'. Perhaps it's poor form to do criticism as math, but the new thriller "Inheritance," directed by Vaughn Stein ...
Inheritance (2020)
Father suddenly dies and leaves a very big surprise for daughter. TxMike 22 July 2020. This movie has gotten consistently mediocre to poor ratings from various professional viewers. The premise is very interesting but highly unlikely, and many of the choices of the various characters seem unusual and unlikely.
Inheritance Review: Lily Collins & Simon Pegg in ...
'Inheritance' Review: Lily Collins and Simon Pegg Spar in Silly, Predictable Thriller Vaughn Stein's sophomore effort is plagued by strange character development and obvious twists, but an ...
Movie Review: Inheritance (2020)
Movie review of Inheritance (2020) by The Critical Movie Critics | A woman discovers a shocking secret in her inheritance when her father passes away suddenly.
Movie Review
Movie Review - Inheritance (2020) May 19, 2020 by Robert Kojder. Inheritance, 2020. Directed by Vaughn Stein. Starring Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford, Marque Richardson ...
'Inheritance' Review: Where There's a Will, There's a Way
"Leave us out of the will, please." Peter Travers on one of the worst films of 2020: 'Inheritance.' Our zero stars review.
Inheritance (2020 film)
Inheritance is a 2020 American thriller film directed by Vaughn Stein from a screenplay by Matthew Kennedy. The film stars Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford and Patrick Warburton. Inheritance was released on May 22, 2020, by Vertical Entertainment. It received generally negative reviews from critics.
Inheritance (2024) Review and Ending Explained
Inheritance (2024) Review and Ending Explained - Part Knives Out and part Game Night, Inheritance is a more comedic murder mystery.
Inheritance
Inheritance - Metacritic. Summary A patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family suddenly passes away, leaving his wife and daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy their lives. Drama. Mystery.
'Inheritance' Review: Moody, Unsettling, and More Than Meets the Eye
Inheritance doesn't rattle in expected ways. It is an untethered, strange experience that sits somewhere between drama, horror, and thriller. The film doesn't settle for ordinariness for the ...
Inheritance Movie Review
Overlong psychological thriller has violence, language. Read Common Sense Media's Inheritance review, age rating, and parents guide.
The Ending Of Inheritance Explained
Let's dig into the surprising ending of Inheritance, including each of the secrets that were hidden away in that creepy bunker.
The Inheritance movie review & film summary (2021)
A film shaped by Asili's own time in a Black liberationist group, "The Inheritance" introduces a scripted frame story about 20something Julian ( Eric Lockley ), who inherits his grandmother's home in West Philadelphia. The place is a treasure trove of books, records, films, artwork, posters, magazines, and all kinds of other cultural ...
The Inheritance Review: A Clever Genre-Shifting Horror That Holds
Summary. The Inheritance sets up expectations but cleverly shifts gears from mystery to horror. The film takes unexpected turns, but suffers from weak character development and a flawed script. Despite the Victorian-era mansion's set design and cinematography creating a spooky atmosphere, the film's ambition isn't met with stellar execution.
'My Late Summer' Film Review: Danis Tanović's Charming Romance
'My Late Summer' Review: A Woman Resists Repeating Her Mother's Romantic Mistakes in Poignant Dramedy Reviewed online, Aug. 11, 2024. In Sarajevo Film Festival (opener).
Mothers' Instinct movie review (2024)
There's something intrinsically appealing about watching two phenomenal actresses go head-to-head in an old-fashioned melodrama. Still, director Benoit Delhomme (the excellent cinematographer who shot "A Most Wanted Man," "At Eternity's Gate," and many more) can't quite figure out what movie he's making. At its best, it feels ...
A Fatal Inheritance with Lawrence Ingrassia
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‘Inheritance’ Review: A Rich Kid’s Estate Surprise

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