Cerebral horror movies are some of my favorites, and with the 2020s horror renaissance came plenty of them. Films such as Possessor, Come True, and Infinity Pool became my bread and butter. Enter: It’s What’s Inside, a bizarro delight that mixes madcap body swap antics with a thrilling whodunnit angle, all while keeping tongue firmly in cheek. Its stylish approach renders writer/director Greg Jardin’s vision with colorful shades of red, green, and blue. As the film quietly unfolds, the boldness of this body-jumping concept becomes underlined dramatically. A twisty kind of masterpiece, ensemble-driven sci-fi horror/comedy It’s What’s Inside will leave viewers reflecting on their own self-worth and body image.
The #Reuphia wedding approaches at long last, with a close friend’s circle gathering together at Reuben’s massive mansion to celebrate early. Each of the party have distinct personalities and more depth than anticipated—Reuben (Devon Terrell), the groom, seems amped for married life but may still carry the torch for a former flame. The main couple, Cyrus (James Morosini) and Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) are the central focus, with their relationship in particular put under the microscope. The film opens with Cyrus masturbating, as Shelby catches him in the act. Instead of carefully talking things out, Cyrus blatantly lies to her face. Their miscommunications only get worse from there. There is also Maya (Nina Bloomgarden), essentially a hippie freshly returned from a Buddhist retreat; Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a popular influencer whose vanity may be a shield for her own insecurities; Dennis (Gavin Leatherwood), a tattooed spiritual with a penchant for bad behavior; and Brooke (Reina Hardesty), a firecracker with her head on her shoulders. The underlying tension between some members of this circle is palpable from the very start. Forbes (David Thompson), a shadowy geek from their past, was also invited, and shows up with a tantalizing game for them all to play.
With Forbes’s arrival, the games fully begin. A disturbing history between some of the members does not stop Forbes from disclosing the contents of a suitcase he has brought along. Instead of explaining in detail the sort of experience they are about to have, Forbes takes every chance to downplay the effects. Forbes prompts them all to attach an electrode to their temples, attached to a mysterious piece of machinery. Claiming it will all be over in just twenty seconds, the crew each experience a proper body swap scenario. Then, they end up back in their own bodies as if nothing had happened, just as Forbes had promised. Only then does Forbes suggest taking the game even further. He pitches a polaroid-style game where the group must make guesses as to who has swapped into what body.
If the acting performances were not up to par, It’s What’s Inside would simply not work, as we must tangibly believe the cast have swapped. Often, this is visually displayed as paneling or camera tricks that go over the performers to reveal who they truly are. The polaroids pinned to their clothing serve as obvious and immediate cues to which person we are looking at, but even those begin to become unreliable as the film twists its deception and secrets to the point of explosion. The hidden desires, grudges, and insecurities surface in shocking ways as they lose control of their physical selves. Tensions rise just based on the interplay and character dynamics, but then something very real and very dangerous happens. The game—and their lives as they know them—may be changed forever.
Along with the strong characterizations, It’s What’s Inside also has a memorably unique visual style and one of the most striking film scores of the year. The lighting in the mansion frequently shifts to eerie blue and red hues, heightening the surreal atmosphere. Split screen and comic-style panels punctuated by social media jargon help create standout imagery. Jardin knows exactly how to highlight the lighting of film, an often lost art in the modern cinema landscape. This element is an essential part of the onscreen language. Also vital is the moral ambiguity, calling into question behavior dynamics. Would you jump into someone else’s body if you could? Putting oneself into the literal shoes of another human being can be a scary thought, carrying with it the tantalizing possibilities of never returning to normal. Body swapping may have been done before, but never quite like this. It’s What’s Inside presents yet another win for Netflix, who continue to prove they have an eye for compelling genre cinema.
It’s What’s Inside passes the electrodes into the hands of the audience, streaming exclusively to Netflix on Friday, October 4th.
