Netflix kicks off its Halloween lineup with It’s What’s Inside, a Sundance favorite from writer-director Greg Jardin that provides an engrossing body-switching mystery that’ll warp minds and keep viewers guessing at every turn.
The film centers on a group of friends who take a Mafia/Werewolf-style game to a whole new level when they use a device to switch bodies with each other. The result is fun at first, but eventually becomes disastrous as things take a nasty, even deadly turn. It’s What’s Inside is the exact type of ensemble mystery viewers often love. The introduction spotlights the messy underpinnings of an otherwise harmonious reunion. There are romantic tensions that stem from past flames rekindling and current couple Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini) are having their own issues. The arrival of Forbes (David W. Thompson), an estranged member of the group, causes old wounds to open and resurfaces a bad party story with lingering consequences. Not to mention, there are definitely some personality clashes. It’s the type of group that makes you wonder when people will stop being polite and start getting real. Yet, even with the group’s juicy tension, they’re simply too shallow to fully enjoy.
Outside of Shelby, Cyrus, and Forbes, the rest of the group doesn’t have much to them. They’re either stock personalities that are hit or miss, or have little depth in their arcs. Some are just extra bodies and end up being largely forgettable or unnecessary—which says a lot since the cast is so small. Now, this doesn’t mean that the cast is bad. In actuality, they’re quite good and Jardin assembles the perfect bunch for this type of experience. They effortlessly match each other’s energies during body switches, and show a range that’s incredibly impressive for a young ensemble. Still, it’s hard not to wish that the group had a little more narrative meat on their bones just to make things more interesting once the body-switching starts.
Frankly, though, It’s What’s Inside already has a lot going on. Once everyone switches and the game begins, you’re left scrambling to figure out who’s who and what’s happening under the surface. Admittedly, the film can be pretty complicated to follow since there’s a lot of details to watch for and subtle story threads weaving throughout. Add in the breakneck pacing that matches the building thrills and the overly complex nature of body switching, and It’s What’s Inside verges on overwhelming viewers. Yet Jardin does just enough to keep viewers more invested than confused. Forbes’s streamlining of the process and game rules for everyone helps maintain a solid plot structure. There are great visual storytelling elements that help viewers keep track of everyone and make the crew changing details to their past stories more engaging. Overall, Jardin finds ways to keep a firm hand on the wheel and guide viewers through an ever-changing narrative that’s honestly a total blast.
At first, it’s just simply fun to watch everyone act in each other’s skin and have those simmering tensions rise into something more. Then, though, Jardin tosses in a huge curveball in the form of a violent turn that sends everyone—including viewers—into a state of shock. Once everyone is done picking their jaw and brain off the floor, the real fun of It’s What’s Inside begins and the film hooks you onto every tantalizing interaction. Admittedly, the film struggles to find a balance as this new conflict overshadows a lot of other early story threads—eventually leaving them totally hanging—and there’s a final twist that’s cool, but needlessly further complicates things. But, it’s wildly fun to see this power struggle ensue as everyone questions their own desires and acts on impulse to save their own skin. It features socially-driven frictions that are reflective and ultimately make the messiness of these dynamics sickeningly juicy. Thompson’s performance especially impresses with how he tries and fails to find a handle on things as everyone spirals into a maddening selfishness. The intensity ratchets up so quickly that you’re barely left time to breathe and the final result is a genuine stunner that’ll have viewers shocked by where it all went wrong.
It’s What’s Inside is a certified crowd-pleaser thanks to Jardin’s steady direction of a highly complex thrill ride and the sheer body-switching fun that’s elevated by the cast. It might be a lot for viewers to take in at times, but It’s What’s Inside has the power to be your next obsession.
