I’ve had my eye on It’s What’s Inside for a while now. I first heard about this movie when it played at Sundance and SXSW earlier this year, as a couple of critics I follow ranted and raved about it. They couldn’t wait for more people to get the chance to see it, and that got me super excited as well. I was dying to check this film out for myself, so when it finally got a release date from Netflix, I immediately started counting down the days. I couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about, and now that I finally have, I’m happy to report that this movie totally lives up to the hype.
It’s What’s Inside was written and directed by Greg Jardin, and it stars Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, and David W. Thompson. In the film, a bunch of 30(ish)-year-olds gather to celebrate their friend Reuben’s upcoming wedding, and at first, nothing about the get-together seems terribly out of the ordinary. But when Forbes, an estranged buddy none of them have seen in almost a decade, shows up, the night takes an insane turn none of them could’ve imagined.
Forbes has a machine that allows people to swap bodies, and he thinks it would be fun if the entire group used it and then tried to figure out who was who. He says he and his co-workers do it all the time, so it’s completely safe. Unsurprisingly, the group agrees to give it a shot, but these sci-fi shenanigans don’t exactly work out the way they expected. Essentially given secret identities, these friends quickly start to take advantage of their newfound anonymity, and their once tight-knit bonds start to dissolve in just a few hours.
Right from the get-go, It’s What’s Inside had me completely hooked. As you might be able to guess from that plot synopsis, this movie relies very heavily on its large ensemble cast, and thankfully, every single one of these actors knocks it out of the park. They’re great both individually and as a group, so from the minute you meet these characters, you’ll want to see as much of them as possible.
And coming from me, that’s a big compliment. I’ve never been much of a partier, so I’d never want to hang out with these people in real life. In fact, I often don’t even enjoy these kinds of party animals in movies (for instance, it’s a huge reason why I disliked Bodies Bodies Bodies), but something about It’s What’s Inside is different.
Not only are the dialogue and the performances just that good, but writer/director Greg Jardin does a great job of making it clear that the film isn’t really on their side. It’s actually mocking them (and in particular, their duplicity), and everything from the editing to the cinematography to the acting hammers that point home.
Then, when Forbes busts out his body-swapping device, the performances get even better. These actors effortlessly take on some of the mannerisms of the characters who’ve moved into their bodies, so they sell this fantastical scenario really well. Granted, these changes aren’t so pronounced that you’ll be able to figure out who’s who right away, but they’re obvious enough that you’ll definitely notice them.
That being said, the body-swapping is also where It’s What’s Inside starts to drag a bit. In typical cinematic fashion, the first thing on many of the characters’ minds is sex. Several of them think it’s the perfect opportunity to hook up with the friends they’re most attracted to, without those friends ever knowing (because their minds are in other bodies), and in my opinion, that’s way too cliched to be all that interesting.
Thankfully though, this doesn’t go on too long, and what comes next makes that subpar stretch completely worth it. The story quickly takes an unexpectedly horrific turn, and the friends’ duplicitous dealings soon start coming to light. From there, the film turns into a thrilling web of deception, conspiracies, and damaged relationships, so you’ll be hard-pressed to look away from the screen for very long.
I can’t go into much detail without ruining the movie’s surprises, but trust me, this part of It’s What’s Inside is utterly fascinating. It features a number of really clever twists, and seeing these friendships unravel before your eyes is incredibly satisfying.
See, even before they get to the party, some of the characters are already caught up in an insidious tangle of lies. Hell, the history of their friendship is littered with dishonesty, and as the narrative goes on, they just dig the hole deeper and deeper. The body swapping allows them to take their unscrupulous tendencies to a whole new level, so when it finally gets them into trouble, they’re just getting what they deserve.
It’s the perfect route for a film like this to take, so as I said before, It’s What’s Inside is one hell of a good time. It’s brilliantly acted, wonderfully shot and edited, and legitimately thrilling, and to top it all off, the movie has a great message about the importance of being honest. It even manages to redeem its biggest flaw, so if you’re looking for some good new horror to watch this October, I highly recommend checking this film out.
It’s What’s Inside is streaming on Netflix right now.
