The People in the Walls

The People in the Walls (2024): A Terrifying Descent Into Domestic Dread

The People in the Walls (2024) is a slow-burning psychological horror film that creeps under your skin and stays there. Directed by indie horror visionary Sarah Callahan, the film blends supernatural elements with claustrophobic tension to tell a story as unsettling as it is emotionally complex. With themes of isolation, family secrets, and inherited trauma, The People in the Walls stands out as one of the most haunting and atmospheric horror entries of the year.

The film follows the Hartley family—mother Elaine (Naomi Watts), teenage daughter Lila (Isla Johnston), and younger son Jamie—as they move into a sprawling, decaying Victorian mansion in upstate New York. Still grieving the sudden death of the father, the family hopes the move will offer a fresh start. But the house has other plans. Strange noises echo behind the walls, objects go missing, and Jamie begins speaking to people no one else can see. Lila, an introverted teen already struggling with the loss of her father, becomes obsessed with the history of the house—and what (or who) might still reside within it.

What begins as a typical haunted house setup quickly becomes something more disturbing. The film subtly shifts from supernatural horror into something darker, revealing a legacy of abuse and madness hidden within the home's walls—both literally and metaphorically. Through carefully constructed flashbacks and eerie discoveries, Lila uncovers that generations of families lived in the house under surveillance and control, some of them forced to live in hidden rooms, attics, and crawlspaces. The "people in the walls" may not be ghosts—they may be victims, or worse, still alive.

Naomi Watts delivers a grounded, emotionally layered performance as a mother trying to hold her fractured family together, while Isla Johnston shines as Lila, whose descent into the mystery becomes the emotional core of the film. Her performance captures both the curiosity and creeping dread of someone discovering the truth about her own lineage and the horror hidden within her own home.

Callahan’s direction is masterful, using stillness, shadows, and silence as much as traditional jump scares. Rather than relying on gore, The People in the Walls builds its horror through implication and atmosphere. Cinematographer Markus Varga’s use of narrow frames and dim lighting creates a constant sense of entrapment, making the viewer feel as if they too are being watched, or worse—trapped within the house.

The sound design is a standout, with whispers, creaking boards, and muffled footsteps creating a disorienting and paranoid auditory landscape. Composer Amelia Roth’s sparse, haunting score enhances the emotional weight and suspense without ever overwhelming the visuals.

By the film’s final act, it becomes clear that the real horror is not just the people in the walls—but what drove them there. The People in the Walls is not only a chilling ghost story, but a scathing commentary on generational secrets, mental illness, and the damage that festers when darkness is locked away and forgotten.

Intimate, terrifying, and thought-provoking, The People in the Walls (2024) is a must-watch for fans of smart, atmospheric horror that lingers long after the credits roll.