Fresh off its world premiere at the 2024 Dances With Films, Emily Moss Wilson's Inheritance is a meaningful and engaging adult drama centered around two estranged sisters, Lucy (Rachel Noll James) and Paige (Austin Highsmith Garces), who not so peacefully reunite when their father passes away and the two are forced to work through the messy dynamics of an inheritance and everything that happened before it. 

Lucy is the seemingly stable sibling, happily married to Luke (Wes Brown) with a child on the way. Paige, on the other hand, bailed ont he family a few years early after their mother's death and has struggled with substance abuse issues. Their father has left Lucy the not particularly valuable house. Paige, on the flip side, inherits all the cash and life insurance. 

On one condition. 

Being the responsible one, Lucy is also tasked with being the executor. Considering the will's very specific requirements, this is no small task. As Lucy and Paige work through the complex nature of grief and unresolved family baggage, more truths come to light and more choices will have to be made. 

Inheritance is penned by co-star Rachel Noll James and it tells a story that is both familiar yet uniquely its own. There's a lot of drama unfolding here, however, it feels natural and honest. James radiates a naturalness throughout Inheritance and really makes us feel Lucy's past and present and the emotional turmoil that goes with having to come face-to-face with estranged siblings along with one's own past. 

Written by lead actor Rachel Noll James, Inheritance is one of those family dramas that lured me in from the start, but I couldn’t get away from it at the end. Having seen a lot of movies about estranged siblings, I was glad to see that Inheritance succeeds in finding a fresh take on a very familiar storyline. As the story unfolds, we begin to see layers of both characters and we begin ti discover their common ground and their challenging differences. Austin Highsmith Garces is similarly wonderful as Paige, a young woman who holds within her much more than we initially see. 

Among the supporting players, Wes Brown is particularly strong as Luke along with Michelle Hurd as Lorraine. 

Dan Clarke's lensing is effective throughout in drawing us in emotionally and demanding that we pay attention to the little nuances between characters. Original music by Michael Reola is also a strong complement to the film's storytelling.

Inheritance continues on its indie fest run and one can only hope it finds a quality indie distributor able to brings its intelligent storytelling to a wider audience. For those who are looking for a more intelligent, emotionally honest adult drama devoid of the usual histrionics, Inheritance is a film to check out. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic