Inheritance Movie Review: When Family Secrets and Trauma Refuse to Stay Buried

Inheritance stars Rachel Noll James and West Brown. Photo: IMDb

Inheritance (2024)
The past never dies

Following its successful release in the US and Canada, Inheritance is now available on major digital platforms in the UK.

Genre: Family Drama
Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Director: Emily Moss Wilson
Writers: Rachel Noll James, Austin Highsmith Garces
Starring: Austin Highsmith Garces, Rachel Noll James, Wes Brown

Available to stream on: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Tubi, and other platforms.


Synopsis

When two estranged sisters reunite to bury their father, unresolved trauma and long-suppressed secrets come roaring back. Inheritance is a tense, emotional drama that explores grief, family legacy, and the haunting realization that some things are passed down whether we want them or not. (One Tree Entertainment, 2026)


Overview

The story opens with a family backyard barbecue that turns tragic when the patriarch collapses while playing the guitar. A widower, his two daughters—Lucy and Paige—are the center of his life, despite years of estrangement. Paige has been absent for a long time, struggling with financial instability and alcoholism.

When she finally returns, Paige is focused solely on her share of the inheritance. Their father leaves Lucy the house, while Paige is entitled to most of the money and additional property. As executor of the will, Lucy is authorized to release the money in increments on the condition that Paige enters rehab.

This arrangement infuriates Paige, who attempts to circumvent her father’s wishes. Old grievances surface as the sisters clash, forced to confront not only their father’s death but lingering guilt surrounding their mother’s passing.


Review

Inheritance (2024) is a quiet, cutting drama that understands how grief rarely arrives alone. When Lucy and Paige reunite, the film resists melodrama, opting instead for something more unsettling: the slow resurfacing of wounds never allowed to heal.

The director and cast handle the material with restraint, allowing silences and small gestures to carry emotional weight. The sisters’ relationship feels lived-in, shaped by years of resentment, avoidance, and unspoken blame. Trauma is not framed as a single event, but as damage that echoes across time.

The film’s central theme, that legacy is emotional as much as material, lands with quiet force. Like many childhood homes, the house bears witness to every trauma and whispered secret the sisters tried to outrun.

Though the pacing occasionally buckles under its melancholy, the final act delivers a lasting punch. For fans of character-driven family dramas, Inheritance is worth considering.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

*Thank you to One Tree Entertainment for the screener link for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

‘Inheritance’ Unpacks Family Ties and Hidden Truths

Emily Moss Wilson’s new film ‘Inheritance.’ Courtesy photo, used with permission.

When it comes to films, dramas contain emotional depth, compelling characters, and exploration of the human experience. They often tackle complex themes such as love, loss, identity, and morality, allowing viewers to connect with the story on a personal level. This emotional resonance is a key reason for their enduring appeal. Whether based on true events or fictional narratives, dramas invite introspection and empathy, offering a mirror to society and the self. Their ability to evolve with cultural shifts while maintaining timeless emotional truths ensures their continued popularity across generations, making them a cornerstone of cinema around the world.

The new drama film Inheritance will be showing in select US theaters from May 6 through May 22 and will be available on digital and on demand on June 3. (One Tree Entertainment, 2025)

Inheritance’…The Past Never Dies

Directed by Emily Moss Wilson
Starring Austin Highsmith Garces (Scream TV Series, Criminal Minds, Dolphin Tale), Rachel Noll James, Wes Brown (True Blood, 90210, Hart of Dixie), Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard, Blindspot Hawaii Five-0)

Estranged sisters Lucy and Paige reluctantly reunite to bury their father, only to find themselves drawn back into the tangled web of their painful past. As old wounds resurface, they discover that they’ve inherited far more than just money.

CINEMA SCREENING TIMES BELOW

LOS ANGELES, CA
May 6th @ 7p.m. – Laemmle Glendale – MORE INFO HERE
*Talkback with actors Michelle Hurd & Austin Highsmith Garces
May 8th @ 7p.m. – Laemmle Santa Monica – MORE INFO HERE
*Talkback with actors Michelle Hurd & Austin Highsmith Garces
May 9th – May 22nd – Laemmle Santa Monica (Various Times – TBA)

WASHINGTON STATE
May 9th – 22nd @ 6:30p.m. daily – Bainbridge Island Cinemas – TICKETS HERE
*Talkbacks on May 13th and 22nd with actor/writer Rachel Noll James and producer Sienna Beckman
May 9th – 15th @ 6p.m. daily – Historic Admiral in West Seattle – TICKETS HERE
May 21st @ 7p.m. – Kingston Firehouse Theater – TICKETS HERE
*Talkback with actor/writer Rachel Noll James and producer Sienna Beckman

NEW ORLEANS, LA
May 18th @ 3p.m. – The Broad Theater – TICKETS HERE
*Talkback with director Emily Moss Wilson, editor Misty Talley, producer Daniel Lewis

Inheritance still. Courtesy photo, used with permission.