Air, water, food, and shelter rank at the top of the basic necessities required for human survival. In Inside, writer/director Vasilis Katsoupis and co-writer Ben Hopkins wield psychological torment to posit that art should also be considered a necessity. For its art that drives a man forward in this single-location thriller that attempts to hinder survival at every turn.
Inside introduces high-end art thief Nemo (Willem Dafoe) smack in the middle of an elaborate operation that sees him slither inside a luxury penthouse in a New York City high rise with ease. He communicates via walkie-talkie to a pair of unseen collaborators, guiding his way through security systems and the apartment’s smart technology in search of the coveted piece of art Nemo’s there to steal. When it’s not where it’s supposed to be, Nemo’s frantic search costs him precious seconds, setting off a series of events in short order that leaves him trapped within and abandoned by his cohorts. The penthouse’s owner took great care in setting the place up with theft prevention, ensuring that Nemo won’t just have to figure out how to escape; he’ll need to use every bit of cunning to survive.
Photo Credit: Focus Features
Katsoupis and Hopkins throw every possible survival scenario imaginable at their art thief, escalating the chamber piece from survival horror into a full-blown nightmare. A showcase for Willem Dafoe’s talents, with nearly the entire 105-minute runtime resting comfortably on his shoulders, Inside keeps its central character completely isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Dafoe’s Nemo toggles from extreme temperatures as the smart thermostat immediately goes on the fritz. Nemo must also find solutions to water and food shortages in his bid to outlast long enough to escape the sealed penthouse or find help.
Inside never shies away from getting intimate with the grosser aspects of survival. The more desperate Nemo becomes, the more he’s willing to do whatever it takes. At first, it’s not too terrible; Nemo tries to keep himself entertained with the penthouse’s weird quirks as he cycles through the barebones pantry. But the more the limited supplies dwindle, the more harrowing and dire his situation grows. Moldy food suddenly isn’t as repulsive as the large can of wet dog food, of which Katsoupis uses grotesque squelching to fully escalate the ick factor. Never mind the other gag-worthy options Nemo turns to or the tactile way the director focuses on Nemo’s excrement. For a single-location psychological thriller prone to quiet stretches, Katsoupis make sure that there’s no bottom for Nemo.
Photo Credit: Focus Features
The worse it gets, the more it takes a toll on Nemo’s state of mind. Dafoe capably navigates the various forms of duress, frustration, desperation, and even amusement of Nemo’s plight with ease, making it easier to endure the survival marathon. The more cracked Nemo gets, the more Inside circles back to its central thesis: what is survival without purpose? Nemo’s entire existence since childhood seems driven by art. It’s why he’s found himself in this nightmarish suite in the first place and it’s the means by which he staves off insanity.
Inside toe dips into surrealism in its final act to answer its question on art as a human necessity. In its grueling bid to answer it, though, it begs the question of whether it all was worth it. Willem Dafoe can make even the most peculiar or morally ambiguous character a fascinating watch, and Katsoupis’s constant brush against horror through skin-crawling survival extremes also presents an intriguing study. But the simplicity of this high-concept psychological thriller also means that it can be a bit of an endurance test.
Inside is out in theaters now.
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