I Live Here Now (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

A woman, Rose (Lucy Fry), finds herself trapped in a remote hotel. She’s cut off from the world, forced to relive her traumatic past. Will she escape? Will she survive?

I Live Here Now is incredibly fucked up, twisted, demented…just about any other synonym you can think of. Sheryl Lee’s (Martha) performance is particularly horrifying. She personifies every ounce of discomfort meant to reach viewers, and her enigmatic presence in I Live Here Now propels these tones and themes forward from nearly the start of the production. Her presence is felt even when she isn’t physically present on screen, effectively shrouding I Live Here Now in her well-developed provocation in the early going. 

To say that I Live Here Now doesn’t go anywhere seems a little on the nose; some may even consider it, given the narrative, a compliment. However, the film remains stagnant after its first twenty minutes, failing to progress in any way. What hopes to be a deep psychological horror, fails to entice in this regard. 

Deeper within this narrative exists commentary on the idea of “my body, my choice,” but that sentiment feels abandoned after the first act. As Rose makes her way toward the hotel in which she’ll remain throughout the rest of I Live Here Now, I struggled to pick up on those themes. While I don’t believe incorporating this theme into the film was a make or break for it, I do find it odd the important role it played at the start, only for it to dwindle and nearly disappear as tensions rise and more drama develops. With that being said, it’s almost as if I Live Here Now is two different films, with storylines that are completely independent of one another. The film is fractured, ultimately disconnected—but not intentionally so. This team fails to bridge the gaps between the multiple narratives, and frumpiness reigns supreme throughout as a result. 

Much like I Live Here Now’s inability to stick to a single storyline, it struggles with its set design as well. The abundance of over-the-top hotel rooms present in this film is almost alarming. They are bright, vibrant, and conflicting. The set design ultimately becomes abrasive and uninteresting, and I found myself often overwhelmed by what was being presented. I Live Here Now is simply too much with no direction. 

I Live Here Now has a rewarding conclusion, meaning that it is effectively bookended by intrigue. The empty space lodged in between the film’s more intriguing moments, however, bury it. 

Written & Directed by Julie Pacino. 

Starring Lucy Fry, Madeline Brewer, Sarah Rich, Sheryl Lee, Matt Rife, Lara Clear, etc. 

5.5/10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED