The People in the Walls Review: Creepy Yet Effective!

The People in the Walls, a Crum brothers’ film, takes a simple childhood fear and reshapes it into a modern horror concept built around internet-age curiosity and urban legends. The idea itself is effective because almost everyone has had that feeling at some point growing up—that strange fear of something hiding in the dark corner of your room or behind the walls of your house. The film takes that familiar discomfort and expands it into a full supernatural mystery while blending in themes of trauma and obsession.

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Once again, similar to another Crum Brothers project I recently watched, The Hunt, the movie’s biggest strength for me comes from its technical side. Michael Crum’s cinematography stands out throughout the film and shows a lot of care in how tension is built visually. The camerawork frequently uses steady handheld movement, controlled zoom-ins, and gradual pans to slowly pull attention toward places where danger might be hiding. Rather than aggressively throwing the camera around, the movement here often feels deliberate, creating anticipation and making you constantly scan the frame for something lurking in the background.

The lighting was another aspect of The People in the Walls I really liked. Since much of the film unfolds indoors and during darker settings, the visual atmosphere becomes extremely important. The use of yellow-orange warmth contrasted with cooler blue hues creates a good visual balance throughout the movie. Those colors help maintain tension without making scenes feel visually flat or overly dark. Instead of simply hiding everything in darkness, the film uses lighting to suggest uneasiness and create mood.

The sound design and score were also among the film’s strongest elements. Horror lives and dies through sound, and I thought the movie handled that really well. The sound mixing feels sharp and clean, particularly while watching with headphones. Sudden sounds, movements behind walls, impacts, and environmental effects create a very effective atmosphere. Rather than relying entirely on loud jump-scare stingers, the movie often builds discomfort through subtle sound placement and layered audio.

The aspect I probably enjoyed the most, though, was the creature design and overall visual execution of the world hidden inside the walls. There’s a lot of effort visible here. The creatures genuinely feel creepy, and what I appreciated is that they don’t simply feel like digital effects dropped onto the screen. There’s a tangible physicality to them that makes their presence more unsettling.

Many modern horror films often rely heavily on VFX creations that sometimes end up feeling weightless or artificial. Here, the practical work helps the monsters feel grounded and real. The strange movements, distorted appearances, and overall design create an unsettling effect that sticks with you.

The practical stunt work also deserves credit. There are numerous sequences involving characters being dragged away, sudden disappearances, flying objects, shattered glass, and chaotic physical interactions. These moments are executed surprisingly well and add to the energy whenever the horror escalates.

Story-wise, I thought the premise itself was interesting. The concept of creatures relentlessly haunting people after being summoned immediately creates curiosity. I also liked the emotional angle involving Nancy and Chris, played by Natalia Santacoloma and Cole Crum. Their motivation for wanting to connect with these entities, particularly through the elements tied to their parents, adds emotional grounding beneath the horror setup.

Performance-wise, everyone does a decent job overall, but Cole Crum particularly stood out to me. Despite being younger, his character carries a lot of heart. There’s something charming about his protective attitude toward his sister and the way he confidently calls himself “The Muscle.” Moments like that give the film small pieces of warmth amidst the horror.

Where I felt the movie could have pushed further was in its character writing and emotional depth. The core idea is interesting, but there were moments where I wanted more time spent understanding certain characters and relationships. Horror works even better when we are deeply invested in the people being chased or threatened, and while the setup introduces everyone effectively enough, some of the emotional dynamics could have benefited from additional development.

A bit more interpersonal drama, stronger exploration of trauma elements, or more layered motivations could have elevated the story beyond simply moving from one frightening situation to another. The foundation for those ideas exists, but they occasionally feel only lightly touched upon.

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Overall, The People in the Walls succeeds strongly on atmosphere and technical execution. Between the effective cinematography, impressive practical creature work, sound design, and creepy visual world-building, it creates genuine tension and some memorable horror moments. While the story could have benefited from deeper character work, the film still delivers as an entertaining supernatural horror experience that transforms a familiar childhood fear into something genuinely unsettling. You can now check all the streaming/rental links for ‘The People in the Walls’ on the production house’s website or check out MGI Films Linktree.

‘The People in the Walls’ Rating – 3.5/5