From the opening moments of Inheritance, the new film from Neil Burger, there's an immediate sense of connect with this unnamed twenty-something protagonist (played by Phoebe Dynevor) who has an aimless night, filled with booze and emotionless sex. The camera follows her through and through, as she coils up some deep melancholy the viewer is not aware of yet. We will come to know that she is Maya, who is mourning the death of her terminally ill mother after taking care of her for the last eight months, unable to see what lies ahead of her now.
Phoebe Dynevor in a still from Inheritance, which is streaming now on Lionsgate Play.
The premise
Soon, Maya comes in touch with her estranged father Sam (Rhys Ifans), who offers her to join his real estate business which has its headquarters in Egypt. There's something about the enterprise that does not quite look okay, but Maya is more than eager to leave her home and get a change- her self-destructive instinct poses a threat that will soon change her entire life when her father gets kidnapped. He was not a real estate fixer as he proclaimed for her to believe that easily, but a spy. Danger awaits her, and without any training whatsoever, she has no other way to go than get to the truth.
What works
This globe-trotting thriller has the immediacy thanks to the guerrilla approach used in filming with an i-Phone by cinematographer Jackson Hunt with a minimal crew. Inheritance boasts of a heightened sense of authenticity and unpredictability. The chaotic lanes of Delhi are just as raw and unpolished here as in real life- a gritty realism that is a welcome change from the multiple polished spy thrillers that are produced every year in abundance.
The main issue here arrives from the scripting stage, written by Burger and Olen Stienhaur, which begs for more intrigue. The familiar narrative beats do not sync well with the tightly controlled pace of the film, as the revelations follow. Special mention for Paul Leonard-Morgan's kinetic score which adds a lot of energy and soul to the proceedings.
At the centre of this globe-trotting actioner lies the committed performance of Phoebe Dynevor, who appears in almost every scene in the film. The Bridgerton star gives an immensely controlled and grounded turn as Maya, wholly believable as a young woman whose initial recklessness gives way for a more steely reserve along the way. Her gradual shift might be a tad too predictable as the mission runs along, but the actor is able to provide a rich interiority to her presence that elevates the film overall.
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’.
A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own.
Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience.
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