Alejandro Brugués returns from “Horror Anthology Land” to direct his first solo feature since 2011’s hilarious zombie comedy Juan of the Dead in this year’s more straightforward-scary The Inheritance. Writing duo Chris Lamont and Joe Russo parallel recent releases like Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher and Radio Silence’s Abigail, whether in greed-driven tones or lockdown confinement. The Inheritance was initially set to be a Netflix Original, but the streaming juggernaut dropped the completed product in early 2023, allowing producers to seek alternate distribution. It’s an odd move that presumes quality concerns, but I’ve seen far worse Netflix horror exclusives — more ambitious, but far less successful. There’s nothing awful about The Inheritance; it’s merely paint-by-numbers generational survival horror.

The film’s original title, The Last Will and Testament of Charles Abernathy, better describes what to expect. Bob Gunton stars as 74-year-old billionaire Charles Abernathy,...