Looking for a crazy good time? It’s all ‘Inside’
The totally bonkers “It’s What’s Inside” takes the body-swapping genre to delirious new heights by proffering fascinating questions about identity, jealousy and, most importantly, the openness and honesty of relationships. Springing from the wildly imaginative mind of writer-director Greg Jardin, the Netflix offering is at heart a seductive, mind-boggling take on party games – like truth or dare – that can place participants in increasingly uncomfortable and embarrassing situations.
The scene is the somewhat rickety mansion owned by Reuben (Devon Terrell), who invites six of his closest friends over for a night of celebration on the eve of his wedding. The guests include the long-engaged couple Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini), social-media influencer Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey), trust-fund layabout Dennis (Gavin Leatherwood), alt girl Brooke (Reina Hardesty) and heavily tattooed neo-hippy Maya (Nina Bloomgarden).
A la “Knives Out,” it sets up like a game of Clue, with good cheer quickly giving way to festering grievances and latent animosities that come to a head with the unexpected arrival of the mysterious Forbes (David W. Thompson), an old college chum of the gang with a score to settle. It apparently has something to do with him getting expelled for allowing his underage sister to get drunk on campus.
But that was a decade ago and Forbes, now a Silicon Valley wiz, convinces them all is forgiven. He even comes bearing a peace offering in the form of his most innovative invention – a metal attache case containing an elaborate assemblage of wires and switches he claims can facilitate participants exchanging not bodies but souls.
The object of the “game” is to take turns guessing who’s who after the switch, using individual personality traits as a tell. The person able to disguise their new identity the longest wins. In “round one,” all goes well. It was “fun,” all agree. That all changes at the inception of “round two.” I will say no more, but I can assure you it’s a compelling ride that can often get confusing if you’re not paying close attention. And it’s for that reason that Netflix is an ideal landing spot for a movie that will have you rewinding multiple times to ensure you get everything and everyone straight.
The acting is somewhat suspect and the plotting stagey, yet the film thrives on the ideas and insights lurking within Jardin’s sometimes overly clever script. It’s a tad disappointing that Jardin trains most of the focus on Shelby and Cyrus, whose already shaky relationship is made more unstable by the chance to see themselves through eyes that are not theirs. It gets particularly tricky when Shelby inhabits the body of Nikki, for whom Cyrus has long carried an unrequited torch and someone Shelby has enviously longed to be like.
The problem is that Shelby and Cyrus are two of the dullest characters and their romantic woes are trivial. It would have been far more interesting if Jardin had been more daring, like placing a male or two in the bodies of females, or vice versa. That would be fascinating, delving into what it means to love someone. Does that love transcend gender and appearance? It’s a real missed opportunity.
Despite that, there’s no understating the cleverness of what Jardin has created, especially his imaginative use of split-screen, quick cuts and a kinetic pace that leaves little time to nitpick. I particularly enjoyed a scene in which Shelby and Cyrus are driving to the party after a carefully plotted seduction by the former to spice up their dormant sex life flops.
What wrecks the moment is Cyrus being caught masturbating to images of Nikki. How ironic that just before catching him in the act, Shelby was in the bathroom gathering tips from Nikki’s Instagram account on how to seduce your man. So imagine the tension-filled drive to the party with Cyrus behind the wheel still fantasizing about Nikki as an enraged Shelby sits next to him scrolling through Nikki’s plethora of social media posts which flash across the screen like a rapid heartbeat.
There are several equally edgy nuggets along the way. But don’t label “It’s What’s Inside” a dark comedy. It’s much more than that as it melds elements of horror, sci-fi and drama into a skillfully blended concoction that entertains while causing you to think. It also provides a challenging exercise for the actors, each tasked with playing multiple characters: their own and at least two of the others “inhabiting” their bodies during the switches.
Expect moments of “what would I do” to float through your mind, especially when some souls prefer their new bodies and refuse to return to their own. It culminates in a chaotic third act in which “fun” threatens to turn deadly as it generates more twists than a package of Twizzlers. Like I said, it’s not the easiest film to follow, but given its uniqueness – including a wildly eclectic score and a host of neat camera and editing tricks – “It’s What’s Inside” is well worth looking into. Who knows, it might even turn you into a different person.
Movie review
It’s What’s Inside
Rated: R for language, sexual situations and drug use
Cast: Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden and David W. Thompson
Director: Greg Jardin
Writer: Greg Jardin
Runtime: 104 minutes
Where: On Netflix beginning Oct. 4
Grade: B
