Spy thrillers are a dime a dozen, but the subgenre is one that demands innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. Enter Neil Bruger’s iPhone-made espionage thriller Inheritance,
starring Bridgerton‘s Phoebe Dynevor.

Sporting a contemporary look and darker hair, the British sensation plays Maya, a young woman grieving the loss of her mother when she begins to reconnect with her estranged father, Sam (Rhys Ifans). Unbeknownst to her, this reunion of sorts reveals that her father is deep in the world of espionage and international conspiracies. She has to travel the globe to retrieve vital intel to save him.

Phoebe Dynevor Delivers A Layered Performance In Inheritance

Inheritance is a minor throwback, with its grounded filming style using only an iPhone and a small-knit crew. Real-world settings and minimal production are the backdrop for an engaging watch, but the rough presentation has ups and downs. One thing that is certainly a plus is the real-time engagement with cast and crew settings.

In the lead-up to the film, Dynevor described the surreal experience of nabbing a pair of sunglᴀsses as her character, with the staff and patrons not clued in. The desire for real reactions adds to the film’s frantic energy as Maya escapes one tough situation after another. We’re inserted into the film as we wonder how Maya will perform in the new environments that await her on her adventure.

The bare-bones production leaves a lot to chance, but there is a sense of control and immense effort to get the takes right, to capture the right responses, and to gain an insightful and on-the-spot performance from the actors. Dynevor nails her performance as the troubled Maya.

She carefully curates an engaging narrative about a wayward young woman, directionless and powerless, gaining drive and determination, despite the reality of what her father has thrown her into. Dynevor is certainly making bold choices. However, the one choice that may need careful consideration is the change in accent. Not everyone can smoothly transition to the American accent like Saoirse Ronan, but Dynevor makes an admirable attempt.

The pressure of getting the scenes right once is enough to sway the most confident of performances. Accent work is so tricky when one has to think about where the camera is, how many civilians are around them, how many have caught on to what’s going on, and where the trusted crew is to keep them on track. On top of that, one has to convey a level of uncertainty, stress, impulsiveness, calm and focus, conflicting yet complimentary emotions that make spy thrillers, well, thrilling. Despite its flaws, Dynevor carries the film with an ᴀssured performance, welcoming the challenge of filming guerrilla-style.

Inheritance is not groundbreaking; the narrative is derivative, the pacing a touch uneven, and the acting flushed with imperfections, but it is entertaining. Ifans, no matter how briefly he appears in projects, always gives a good performance, though he falters with the accent issue as well. It seems silly to boil their performances down to this detail, but for how wide-reaching the story is, it is not in the least bit alienating to have two Brits play Brits. There is perhaps more to engage with if the actors were released from this one particular restraint.

Inheritance Rises To The Challenge Of Filming On An iPhone

Inheritance is not for everyone, and the typical moviegoer does not often indulge in this mode of production, but with the likes of Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh making valiant efforts to switch to iPhone production to great acclaim, Burger makes a bold choice to gain some momentum for the practice.

Burger rests his attempt on a narrative that isn’t commonly presented in such a low-budget, hyper-realistic way. It is a challenge as expectations have been raised for highly stylized and pricier productions. And in some respects, he meets the challenge. The rush, the excitement, the uncertainty, and the disoriented nature of the story are captured well in this format. However, there are some missteps with plotting. The issues are minor, but they can make a difference to the overall enjoyment.

Ultimately, Inheritance is a fairly good attempt to branch out into different technical abilities within the spy thriller genre. Hopefully, this method and films like Inheritance continue to inspire such attempts.

Inheritance opens in theaters on January 24, 2025. The film is 101 minutes long and rated R.