Synopsis
Greg Jardin’s debut feature film It’s What’s Inside is a science fiction psychological horror set for release in 2024. The film is a combination of body-swapping science fiction, relationship drama, and thriller tension all within one location. It tackles the topics of identity, jealousy, and the human desire to transform.
The events of the film begin with Shelby and her boyfriend Cyrus driving to a remote luxurious estate to join a gathering celebrating the upcoming wedding of their college friend Reuben. The gathering includes several other college ‘friends’ such as the influencer Nikki, Dennis the art collector, Maya the spiritual free spirit, Brooke the creative, and Beatrice, the shy introverted friend.
The plot thickens with the addition of the estranged Forbes who was once close to the group but has since fallen out of contact. Forbes is described as carrying “a strange piece of technology,” an experimental device stored in a metallic suitcase he claims allows two people to swap bodies.
The escalation of a simple party trigger into a multi-layered form of guilt has now progressed into something far more severe with existential layers. The attendees of the party quickly fuse into two distinct groups, some with the will to act on malevolent intentions, while others take a more altruistic approach. As the game proceeds, shocking revelations are introduced, such as disguised envy and desires woven into the fabric of the interactions.
The gathering progresses right until two of the attendees, Reuben and Brooke, suffer a debilitating identity crisis that leaves them both crippled with pseudo-identity. What follows is deeply rooted identity dissolution spiraling into chaos as conflict between multi-faceted identities rages over control of the device that started it all. With a gradual increase in outer chaos comes unraveling inner turmoil, especially when it comes to paranoia and rage. Shelby, one of the partitions caught in the middle, becomes constricted in her own nuptial shackle of a lie.
Her actions prompted fear in Cyrus leading to his arrest on false grounds while Beatrice, the quietest, rigorously took charge of Forbes identity making failing chances of escape by Switch contriving a means of body swap absent from the scene after creating the political-social fiasco storm. In the surge, Cyrus’s wrongful arrest leads to irreversible life alterations for many. The frivolous remain progress amiss as questions can be drawn about the sense of responsibility while juxtaposing it with the concept of self, raised by Beatrice who ends up walking away unfazed.
Cast and Crew
Director and Writer
Greg Jardin makes his feature debut with Its What’s Inside. Jardin applies a bold, new, and visually unique approach to high-concept thrillers, having previously directed music videos and short films. He was able to intertwine comedic, horror, and sci-fi elements into a singular narrative because of his simultaneous role as writer and director.
Producers
Beginning in 2020, the film’s producers were William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum, and Raul Domingo. Colman Domingo served as an executive producer for the film. Following its Sundance premiere, the film was acquired by Netflix despite its modest production budget of $2.5 million dollars.
Cinematography
The cinematic techniques of Kevin Fletcher employ lighting to create a dramatic and restricted color palette, which enhances the already claustrophobic atmosphere and visual tension that resembles mental stress and body-swapping ordeals.
Editing
Jardin has edited the film himself and shows careful attention to pacing. He was effective with the use of visual and rhythmic cues which contributed to maintaining narrative clarity during multi body swap scenes.
Music
The score provides by Andrew Hewitt is both suspenseful and absurd. The eerie and ironic melodies that make up the score captures the oscillation between satirical darkness and psychological horror.
Main Cast
Brittany O’Grady as Shelby
Often overlooked and soft-spoken, Shelby, the protagonist, is in a long term relationship with Cyrus, whow sees her as a doormat. Shelby gradually becomes Nikki, and with her the body and social standing, asher personality broadens, though it costs her sense of identity.
James Morosini as Cyrus
Cyrus, Shelby’s boyfriend, gradually becomes unglued as she reshapes herself; his jealousy and desperation motivate a good portion of the film’s subsequent conflict. He comes off as tragic, ultimately, as he is lost in competing narratives reacting to ghastly deeds he did not perpetrate.
Alycia Debnam-Carey as Nikki
An influencer embodying contemporary ideals of success and perfection, her physique becomes the envy of soe, most notably of Shelby, who uses her to shed former fears.
Devon Terrell as Reuben
Seemingly stable, he is the groom-to-be. His mid-film accidental death crosses the threshold beyond which the film transits from experimental game to lethal contest of survival.
Gavin Leatherwood as Dennis
A wealthy art collector whose identity becomes of pseudo-players attempting to pilfer his fortune amidst the swap chaos.
Reina Hardesty as Brooke
As a creative and imaginative character, Brooke’s tragic demise brings to light the dangers to one’s physical wellbeing that come with using body-swapping technology.
David Thompson as Forbes
An enigmatic figure, Forbes as the device’s creator leaves us wondering what Dishonored, empathy defining motivations. Ultimately, Forbes is impersonated by his sister Beatrice in a climactic twist.
Madison Davenport as Beatrice
Madison’s performance as Beatrice begins as a side character, only to later intrinsic scope to be the most ingenious character in the plot Beatrice’s cunning use of the body-swapping device to transcend to the entitled, decadent existence allows her to escape mediocrity but dooms many others to servile submission.
IMDb Ratings and Critical Reception
Most critics focused on the originality of the plot and the skillful execution of bold genre experiments. It’s What’s Inside was generally well received but the second half of the film suffered from a lack of character depth and coherency in narrative structure.
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
The film holds a good score owing to originality and the ensemble cast. Viewers enjoyed the pace and the multitude of surprising twists, but many thought the film was lacking on substance.
Critical Acclaim
Notable critics observed that the film incorporates modern anxieties, relationship complexities, and a dark twist to the body-swap genre, reinventing it cleverly. Reviewers likened it to a mix of Black Mirror, The Invitation, and Coherence. The film’s high production value, even with a low budget, was noted.
Some critiques focused on the identity switch mechanic, which grows more complex with multiple switches, as well as underdeveloped subplots. However, most agreed that the final twist, involving Beatrice’s deception, was provocative and satisfying.
Themes and Analysis
It’s What’s Inside examines the fluidity of identity, the seduction of change, and the price of envy. While the body-swapping machine serves its purpose as a sci-fi gimmick, it also functions as a metaphor for society’s quest for self-image obsession and constant reinvention. The film probes if we can ever know someone truly, especially when disguises, replacements, and facades are readily available.
Much of the conflict is driven by jealousy, isolation, and bottled anger. Each character perceives another as leading a life that they have always yearned for. To inhabit another person’s body becomes the extreme version of yearning for another’s life.
The concluding message is unclear: Beatrice’s successful evasion defies conventional views of justice, while the disorder her departure incites illustrates the precarious nature of identity in the wake of technological manipulation.
Conclusion
It’s What’s Inside is one of the most stylish films of 2024, memorable genre films showcasing the bold thematic focus and the seamless integration of social commentary into body-swap cinema. The film is marked by self-contained space, a limited cast, and at times unnerving creativity. It offers an exquisite blend of entertainment and intellectually stimulating experience, even if it leaves much to be desired in some aspects, and the masterpiece of the year will continue to echo in the audience’s mind long after the end credits.
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