Following its premiere at the 2023 Austin Film Festival, where it was a Jury Winner for a Dark Matters Feature, the new horror film Inhabitants is preparing to haunt households this Valentine’s season as it arrives on VOD.
Releasing February 14th, the film follows a young woman who moves in with her lapsed Catholic boyfriend, only to discover that they’re being haunted by the vengeful ghost of his childhood youth minister.
Headlined by rising talent Anna Jacoby-Heron, who has featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things, appeared as Matt Damon’s daughter in Contagion, and won critical acclaim for her work opposite Sean Penn in the series The First, Inhabitants is her first major lead role.
To coincide with its release, Peter Gray spoke with the actress about working in the horror genre, what she learned about herself during filming, and if she would follow in her character’s footsteps if this terror was happening to her.
Congratulations on Inhabitants. We can say it’s a horror movie, but I felt like it moved in directions and starts conversations that go beyond that. When the script landed for you, were you excited to delve into the genre? Sometimes you hear of so many actors in horror don’t actually like the genre.
I love horror movies. I was so excited to read this script, and then I was really surprised when I was reading it (because) it was not what I thought at all from a horror film. It was really character based, and Matt (McClung) being a first time director really excited me. It’s definitely not what you expect from a horror film. I don’t think I’ve seen any horror films that are quite like it.
Speaking of first time filmmakers, did you find that a different experience as an actor working with someone who hasn’t directed a feature before? Are they more attentive? Are they asking more questions? How collaborative is it?
Yeah, it was a really great experience. It’s just so exciting that he’s getting his first film made, you know? He just had this excitement about him. I’m sure he was stressed at some points, but he was seemingly never that stressed (laughs). He was just calm and happy to be there. And it was really, really collaborative. He really wanted to know what we thought about things and to talk and to reassure me on things. It was just an incredible pleasant experience.
When you’re bringing this character to life, were there elements that weren’t in the script that you brought to it? Did you give her a backstory at all? Or was it all on the page?
I did give her a bit of a backstory, for me, but I enjoyed that we don’t actually know that much. I think that just gives you an opportunity to bring more of a feeling to certain things, instead of explaining something about yourself. We’re just kind of understanding her through her actions.
If you, Anna, were in the situation you find your character in here, are you one of those people who has seen enough horror movies to know you’d get the hell out of there? Or would you want to stick around and actually see what happens?
I think I’d almost want to see what happens (laughs). I’d be so curious. Maybe at a certain point with the night terrors. That might mean I’d have enough. But once (the character of) the mother comes in? I have to stay for her. She is such a character. I’d just want to know what she’s going to do or say next. I’d need to see what she’s doing with that holy water.
Religion is always a really interesting route to explore within horror. Is there ever a worry when you’re working within that realm that the material may offend people?
I thought about that when I read it, and as we were shooting. The religious aspect of it, to me, was interpreted in a lot of different ways. It wasn’t specifically a religious (film). It can mean so many things. Shame comes from all sorts of places. Like, it can come from growing up in an organised religion, or from your parents, or someone you met at school. I interpreted it as something more complex than just a religious thing.
I feel like horror is one of the greatest genres to tackle really serious issues, like grief or trauma. It does it in a way that can be so subtle. We sometimes look at a horror film and it’s people dying, or it’s gory, and it isn’t until you look back and see what it was actually saying.
It’s so interesting that you say that, because it’s true about horror films. Fear is everywhere. Everyone has fears. Whether it’s a ghost or something physically we’re seeing, or not seeing, it’s how fear can manifest. It’s such a fun idea to tackle, and horror films are so great for that.
Was there anything that you learnt about yourself, either as a person or an actor, during the making of Inhabitants that you weren’t expecting?
Yeah, I think it gave me a little more confidence. I was pretty nervous to be in so much of the film, because I hadn’t done that before. I think being able to do it and feeling, like, “Okay, I can do that.” That was my biggest fear.
Inhabitants is available on VOD in the United States from February 14th, 2025.
