When reviewing a film, reading the director’s statement can feel an awful lot like checking their will. What an artist intended with the choices they left behind won’t always matter to the audience, but Neil Burger’s “Inheritance” is worth researching before you buy the ticket. Knowing how this strangely pedestrian thriller got produced not only makes it far more enjoyable to watch but highlights a new storytelling approach that might work better on the second try.

Captured on location in Egypt, India, South Korea, and New York City, IFC Films’ latest experiment in suspense — a father-daughter espionage adventure starring Phoebe Dynevor and Rhys Ifans — uses a naturalistic shooting style that spurred some great behind-the-scenes stories. Known for films like “Limitless” and “Divergent,” Burger aimed to make another slippery psychological drama with mainstream action appeal, but this time, he tried to give it some added oomph by boosting the authenticity.