Name: There's Someone Inside Your House
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Released: 2021-09-24T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Sydney Park, Théodore Pellerin, Asjha Cooper, Dale Whibley, Jesse LaTourette

The killer’s mask peels away in the final act of There’s Someone Inside Your House, revealing not just a face but the film’s central weakness. Patrick Brice’s 2021 slasher adaptation, streaming on Netflix since October of that year, starts with promise—a fresh setting (Osborne, Nebraska), a protagonist with real baggage (Sydney Park’s Makani Young), and a killer who wears victims’ faces like grotesque Halloween masks. Yet the film stumbles where it should shock, settling for generic slasher beats over the psychological depth its premise demands.

Brice, known for his work on The Overnight and Greener Grass, tries to modernize the slasher formula by weaving in themes of trauma, grief, and queer identity. The film’s strongest moments come early: the eerie reveal of the killer’s first victim, the unsettling masks crafted from dead students’ faces, and Makani’s fraught backstory, which grounds her fear in something beyond typical horror tropes. Théodore Pellerin’s Oliver Larsson, a reclusive love interest with his own secrets, offers a compelling dynamic alongside Park’s performance, which balances vulnerability and resilience.

But the film falters when it should escalate. The masks, an inventive concept, lose their impact through repetition; by the third or fourth kill, they feel more gimmicky than horrifying. Brice leans too heavily on jump scares and dimly lit chase sequences, sacrificing tension for cheap thrills. The killer’s identity, while tied to Makani’s past, lacks the emotional weight needed to make the finale resonate. Worse, the supporting cast—including Asjha Cooper as Alex Crisp and Dale Whibley as Zach Sandford—gets shortchanged, their arcs abandoned in favor of slasher conventions.

Where There’s Someone Inside Your House could have been a sharp commentary on small-town secrets and the violence of exposure, it settles for formula. The film’s pacing drags in the middle, and the mystery at its core feels thin compared to the rich thematic material hinted at in the first act. Even the queer representation, while welcome, is underdeveloped; Darby (Jesse LaTourette), a transgender character, deserves more than tokenization.

If Brice had trusted the film’s emotional core—Makani’s journey toward confrontation with her past—the slasher elements might have landed harder. The film’s adaptation from Stephanie Perkins’ 2017 novel There’s Someone Inside Your House misses an opportunity to delve deeper into its characters’ psyches, a weakness that becomes apparent in the rushed third act.

Sydney Park carries the weight of the film on her shoulders, and she does so admirably. Her performance is nuanced, capturing Makani’s fear, resilience, and longing for belonging. Pellerin’s Oliver Larsson is equally compelling, his quiet intensity adding layers to the romance that unfolds between him and Makani. However, the supporting cast—Asjha Cooper as Alex Crisp, Dale Whibley as Zach Sandford, Jesse LaTourette as Darby, Diego Josef as Rodrigo Doran, Burkely Duffield as Caleb Greeley, and Sarah Dugdale as Katie Koons—are given little to do beyond archetypal slasher roles. Their characters are underdeveloped, their potential for depth untapped.

The film’s direction is a mixed bag. Brice excels at creating an atmosphere of dread in the early scenes, using tight framing and eerie lighting to build tension. However, his reliance on jump scares and predictable set pieces undermines the film’s potential for sustained terror. The killer’s masks are a visually striking concept, but their repeated use dilutes their impact. By the time the killer’s identity is revealed, the emotional payoff feels hollow.

Thematically, There’s Someone Inside Your House explores trauma, loss, and grief, but these themes are often overshadowed by the film’s slasher trappings. The film’s setting in Osborne, Nebraska, offers a fresh backdrop for a horror story, but Brice fails to fully capitalize on the small-town dynamics that could have added depth to the narrative. The killer’s motive, tied to Makani’s past, is intriguing but underdeveloped, leaving the film’s emotional core feeling shallow.

In comparison to other modern slashers like Happy Death Day (2017) and Trick ‘r Treat (2007), There’s Someone Inside Your House falls short. While it shares their blend of horror and dark humor, it lacks the inventive storytelling and thematic richness that elevate those films. It’s a shame, because with stronger character development and a more focused narrative, There’s Someone Inside Your House could have been a standout in the slasher genre.

Ultimately, There’s Someone Inside Your House is a missed opportunity. It has the ingredients for a compelling horror film—a strong lead performance, an intriguing premise, and a fresh setting—but it stumbles in its execution.