REVIEW: ‘Inheritance’ is as Classic a Thriller as you Could Ask For

Inheritance (2020) is what the movies are all about. Intrigue, thrills, mystery, and twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Secrets, lies, and skeletons are hidden deep in some very interesting closets! The film is a deliciously tense thriller that truly keeps you guessing up to the very end.

Inheritance (2020)  was an official Tribeca Film Festival 2020 selection. The festival was unfortunately postponed due to the current pandemic, which cost the film its World Premiere. The film impressively marks the screenwriting debut of Matthew Kennedy and is helmed by director Vaughn Stein (Terminal). Lily Collins and Simon Pegg star in the film, along with an impressively rounded-out supporting cast featuring Patrick Warburton, Connie Nielsen, Chance Crawford, and Marque Richardson.

In Inheritance (2020), the patriarch of a wealthy family (Warburton) suddenly passes away. In the reading of the will his estranged, public service-minded daughter (Collins) is gifted a strange inheritance that contains a shocking family secret. Torn between loyalty to her family and her desire to rise above the corruption of power, she must discover the truth of this secret before it destroys her.

There’s a minor comparison to be made between Inheritance (2020) and the 2019 hit Knives Out. One can think of the film as what Knives Out would have been if it played as a straight-thriller and not a whodunnit comedy. Inheritance (2020) has fantastic, truly twisted characters. As any good mystery should, it reveals increasingly shocking secrets one by one. The web of lies only goes deeper and threatens to swallow our heroes. Collins and  Pegg make a formidable dramatic duo. Both bring a sort of cautious charm and deep humanity to their respective performances. Pegg especially leans into his role as the silver-tongued madman, and it’s his work that creates such an intriguing mystery.

Inheritance (2020) dabbles in some weightier themes without sacrificing the streamlined plot. The film offers a sharp critique of wealth that pairs with the more heart-wrenching commentary on family dynamics and the weight of expectation. Instead of drawing the simple line of “power corrupts,” we get a more sophisticated and intelligent exploration of power as corrosive and simultaneously alluring. It shows how power can turn the head of even the noblest actor. The line of right and wrong is blurred into the more relatable conundrum of “What’s right for me and my own?” This makes Inheritance (2020) infinitely more interesting than other films that occupy the same vein.

In the tradition of great mysteries, the film is jam-packed with exciting twists and turns. The stakes are routinely amped up, and our loyalties to our characters are tested. Truly fantastic screenwriting from Kennedy. This is one hell of a good start, and his career is one to watch closely. While there are some minor pacing issues, with the ending a tad abrupt, none of that can detract from this elegantly woven tapestry of deceit.

Inheritance is a joyride, plain and simple. For thriller and mystery lovers, it is a must-watch—a perfect combination of amazing writing, bolstered by even better performances from a compelling cast.

Inheritance will be available digitally and on demand.