Inheritance (2024) Movie Review – Move Knives Out, there is a new whodunnit in town

Move Knives Out, there is a new whodunnit in town

Netflix now brings us the Polish movie Inheritance aka Spadek, a hilarious whodunnit which feels like a mashup of Knives Out, Poirot and Clue but its execution is refreshing. Directed by Sylwester Jakimow, it stars Jan Peszek, Maciej Stuhr, Joanna Trzepiecinska, Mateusz Krol, Gabriela Muskala, Piotr Polak and Adam Ferency among others.

The dysfunctional Fortuna family reunite 30 years later when their millionaire of an uncle, Wladyslaw Fortuna fakes his death and wills away his assets to whoever wins his game. Yep, he is an eccentric game show host and inventor who creates a game in hopes of getting his family to finally get together and bond.

But chaos ensues when he is found dead, the family is trapped in a snowstorm and the cops believe one of them is the killer. But first, the Fortuna family needs to play the game if they want to get their hands on Wladyslaw’s money.

With an ensemble cast, there are a lot of characters in Inheritance but the actors do their best to body them and bring them to life. They all have their little conflicts which are cleverly brought out during the game all thanks to Uncle Wlad. There is Dawid, the naive, bumbling school teacher while his wife, Zosia is blunt and assertive. Their kids, Jozie and Henryk are your sulking teens who end up being stars of the show.

The gossipy Karol is nephew #2 who dotes on his fiance who is also named…Karol, a pseudo-therapist. Finally, bankrupt Natalie is the niece who pretends to be a successful author and is dating the much younger and mysterious Gustaw. They are all quirky and eccentric in their little way which adds to the chaos as they navigate the investigation, throw each other under the bus, and try to win game night.

Sure, Inheritance has all the tropes and the standard formula of a whodunnit that may even have you making comparisons to popular movies of the genre like Knives Out. But it is the humour which makes it so refreshing. Inheritance stands out for its comedy progression as it starts out with dry humour before unravelling into a full-blown slapstick comedy.

We even get a Scooby Doo chase with everyone running down the same hallways. But the characters continue with their deadpan delivery that just gets you. Every time you hear something weird, there is an even out-of-pocket punchline that will have you bursting into laughter.

The production design is pretty impressive as well with the luxurious mansion in the middle of a snowy mountain, giving very White Witch from Narnia, if you ask us. The rustic vibes also add the aura of a retro murder mystery in an isolated setting. The way each section of the house is shown and explored feels like a journey from the secret tunnels to the red neon signs. But we do believe that the house isn’t used to its full potential, especially the tunnels which are just used as a prop instead of making it a part of the story.

But the surprising twist here isn’t that cop reveal or the butler’s suspicious acts. It is the fact that we get a wholesome resolution that sidelines the very premise of inheriting the money in favour of familial bonds. And while the characters in the beginning would have “sold their mother” to get their hands on the money, we get growth that makes their reaction to the twist plausible if not relatable.

Well, Inheritance keeps us invested in the game while also entertaining us with the family’s antics and the investigation making it a pretty fun watch. Along with the comic aspects, it also emphasizes the importance of family and uses gimmicks to make valid points proving that we can use a light medium to also share important themes.

Read More: Inheritance Ending Explained

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