There's Someone Inside Your House (2021) - A Review

There’s Someone Inside Your House follows Makini, a teenage girl who has a dark past. I wonder if that will come up later in the story! There is a spree killer going around murdering teenagers and, in doing so, revealing their darkest secrets to everyone in town. The killer also wears masks making themselves look like the victim. So, what’s my thoughts?

This film wasted a good title. The terror that comes from being alone in your house and, at least thinking, you might not actually be alone is something we all experience. This very moment I sit typing this review, I am currently in my home on my own for a few days and it’s scary. Wait… Did I just hear something? Anyway, it’s a good title. But, this movie focuses on that idea as much as any other slasher.

I have seen some people online bash this movie for being just like any other slasher. I disagree. I like the concept. Yes, it’s not crazily unique. There is an abundance of slashers where the killer’s motive is to punish the victims for keeping secrets. I think it has its own interpretation though. The masks are interesting; though they certainly bring up questions as to how a killer would make such masks. Did he mould their faces? I think they would notice. In the opening credits, they do show somebody 3D printing a mask, but would that even work like that?

I also disagree as I just don’t think the premise of a movie matters that much. It obviously has to be good enough and be somewhat interesting in order to make the movie worthwhile. However, I don’t see any issue in specific plot points being reused as long as the end product is entertaining, cohesive and does it justice. My biggest problem with this movie isn’t the plot. It was intriguing wondering what everyone was hiding. So many possible secrets could come out of characters in a movie like this that I don’t feel it could ever get old.

Nevertheless, was it entertaining, cohesive and do it justice? As you’ve probably guessed, I don’t think so. It was mildly entertaining, even if slightly cringey. I’m not exactly raving about it, but I’m not disappointed either. However, the story made no sense and, therefore, did not do it justice.

With a premise like this, where the killings are due to supposed transgressions or to expose secrets, the motive is crucial in my opinion. If someone is killing people with an M.O. like this, there must be a reason. These can’t just be senseless killings as set up by the premise itself, so they have to…. make sense.

So first, we have to examine what the killer did as well as discuss the questionable parts of his actions (you know, in terms of the movie. Obviously, killing people is more than questionable). Jackson was killed for beating up Caleb during a hazing ritual. Makani’s secret also involved her being a victim of hazing. I thought hazing was meant to be an American college thing, but I digress. People also believed Jackson went harder on Caleb due to him being gay, so he was also a possible homophobe. We find out at the end that the killer was Zach all along, so how did he know what Jackson did? It’s implied in the movie that only the sports players know and the whole gist is that it’s his secret, so how did Zach find out and get that video? Due to the unethical nature of this and the second victim’s secrets, I believed the killer's motive was due to that as well at this point. However, it seems like he was more concerned with people “wearing masks” (and obviously, that’s why he wore the masks). Looks like we have another anti-masker! But, we have no reason to believe that Jackson wasn’t an open asshole. All we know is that he kept this instance secret, which obviously as he would be arrested.

The second killing was Katie as she preached acceptance and tolerance, though badly, while secretly voicing far-right opinions on an anonymous podcast. My question is how he found it when it’s literally just her voice. I’m sure it would be easy for anyone with the ability to hack to find the IP address of whoever uploaded the video, especially as he did have the ability to play a recording of Makani when she tried to call 911. He’s clearly intelligent in regards to technology. Surely, he’d have to know, or at least have suspicions, it was her first in order to then check the IP address. I just don’t see that as very likely. As I said, it’s just her voice. There’s also no indication that it’s a well-known podcast, otherwise I would be able to believe it.

The third murder victim was Rodrigo. This was where I realised the killer mustn’t be killing as some sort of vigilante justice. He was addicted to pain medication… the horror! Obviously, I jest. He did nothing wrong. Yes, it’s not good, but it’s certainly not bad, as in of him, either. Neither being addicted nor not sharing that information are worthy of judgement, let alone murder. Technically, there’s nothing wrong with this killing. It aligns with his motive (though his motive makes no sense and I will get into that). Rodrigo also didn’t hide it very well. Makini noticed, so it’s not a reach to assume Zach did. But, I’m still mad.

Next, Zach attempted to kill Makini for not telling everyone she accidentally pushed a girl into a fire. It’s definitely possible for him to find out about this secret. One, her mugshot is online and she only changed her last name. Two, Ollie, and probably also the uber driver, found out, so it’s not a stretch for Zach to either.

Probably angry with Makini for narrowly escaping, he tried to kill Caleb in order to frame her. I say this was probably his pure motive for this attempted murder, as it doesn’t seem like any secret of Caleb’s is revealed. Honestly, this doesn’t make sense. If he cares so much about this mask thing, then doesn’t this go against his character? Regardless, there’s other problems with this killing. Makani is outside of the school and, due to Zach needing to help his dad she’s still waiting there and asks Alex to take her to the corn maze. It’s a bit confusing what the original plan was meant to be, but it seems Zach’s lie rumbled it somehow so that Makani is left there waiting. She then receives a text from Darby, who says that Ollie, who Makani believes is the killer, was released by the police. Ollie then drives up so Makani rushes into the school to get away from him. She ends up bumping into Caleb who then proceeds to be stabbed from behind by a masked Zach. Keep in mind: though I do have mild face blindness, I think the mask is Caleb’s face, so he was the target. Makani is standing there unable to move, so Zach puts the knife in her hand. My problem with this killing is it’s way too convenient. How did he know Ollie would arrive? How did he know Makani would rush into the school and go down that exact hallway? How did he know Caleb would be there? Why Caleb? How did he know Makani would freeze? Also, I thought the masks were so that he could show people as he killed them that they are wearing masks, but Caleb didn’t see it and, also, if he didn’t have a secret, what mask was he supposed to be wearing?

For some reason, Makani sees the poster for the corn maze and realises that the killer is going to target it. I have no clue why they realise that nor why he does it. It doesn’t align with the secret nor mask thing. Maybe he did it to punish his dad before he kills him, but the characters don’t know it’s Zach at this point. On the way to the corn maze, the characters talk about his dad and it’s the most confused I’ve ever been watching a movie. They say how everyone hates him and now he’s trying to take over the police. What does that mean? Do they think he’s the killer? Why? In addition, why is the killer supposedly taking over the police? Yeah, the police kill people and are bad like the killer, but still, what does this mean? If he was killing people for committing crimes, then maybe?

Zach’s last murder is his dad, before he reveals why he did it all. His dad is awful to both him and the town. The town was awful to him due to association. That sucks. Though it wouldn’t explain the secret and mask thing, it’s somewhat logical, although twisted for sure. However, he goes on a weird rant about how he’s been forced to be in denial about who he is because of privilege and people wearing masks and being hypocrites. It’s weird and like a caricature. One, only one of the victims seemed to fit this description and it was Katie. Two, having a secret, especially drug addiction, doesn’t make you a hypocrite. As far as I’m aware, Rodrigo never said anything against drug addicts. Three, he’s a hypocrite! He didn’t tell people he was the killer and he pretended to be progressive making this speech about how the 1% burn down the world and such while he thinks he’s oppressed for being privileged! And four, his main target, his dad, showed no signs of pretending to be anything but what he was. Yes, Zach shared that he had Nazi memorabilia and it seems like he kept that secret, but he didn’t seem to pretend to be a good person. Yet, Zach claims that everyone is a hypocrite “just like my dad”. Is the secret and mask motive a lie to cover up his real motive: revenge for his poor treatment? Possibly, but that wasn’t made clear and it also makes all the murders, and attempted ones, even more nonsensical.

Other problems I had with this movie is it’s repeated and stigmatising use of the word sociopath, though it’s not exactly isolated to this movie. There was also the use of the stereotypical mean black girl, the fact that the characters drive through the corn maze to help save people when that could have very easily killed people and the fact that Makani straight up murdered Zach. One stab in the circumstances would be self-defence. The second… not so much.

It wasn’t all bad, like I said previously. The acting, bar the reveal, was good. I like most of the characters and did care about whether or not they would die, which is definitely vital in a slasher. It was also shot well.

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