Greg Jardin’s high-concept techno-thriller It’s What’s Inside weaves a tangeled web of deceit and deception among a group of old friends gathering together for one last fling before the group’s first wedding sends them all into the world of adult relationships and responsibilities. Reuben (Devon Terrell, Barry), the man of the hour, has invited all the usual suspects but threw the group a curveball when he also invited Forbes (David Thompson, Green Room), an estranged friend who hasn’t spoken to anyone since a big dustup split the group 8 years ago.
As we all know, it’s rude to come to a party empty-handed but rather than bringing a bottle of wine, Forbes has brought an opportunity with him. Now, Forbes has made a bit of a name for himself in the tech world since the group last saw him, like a Great Value brand Mark Zuckerberg. He promises the group an experience like no other…if they’re willing to step out of their comfort zones and try something new.
“…a horny, weed-fueled comedy spin-off of Black Mirror“
With a couple of electrodes and the press of a button, everyone switches bodies. The group freaks out. Everyone’s brains are blasted into the backs of someone else’s skull. A genuine out-of-body experience! Everyone is screaming, trying to make sense of what happened but just as quickly as it all happened, they’re all back in their own bodies…and eager to try it again, so they can explore what it’s like to live anonymously inside another person. Needless to say, chaos ensues.
It’s a high-concept story that doesn’t get lost in the weeds of trying to explain its own science. Instead, it explores the idea of (literally) walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, and what a person can get away with if they’re hiding their true identity. Our entry into the group is Cyrus (James Morosini, I Love My Dad) & Shelby (Brittany O’Grady, In Our Blood), a couple whose relationship is in active freefall. They’re trying to put aside their differences for the sake of the party but it’s really not going well. Cyrus is clearly over Shelby, who is trying really hard to make it work, but he’s got eyes for Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Car, Friend Request). And surprise-surprise, he’s decided to take this body-swapping opportunity to act out his fantasies.
It’s What’s Inside is raw energy, and pure-style. How writer/director Greg Jardin shoots the transitions from person-to-person, and how he shows the viewer exactly who is who at any given time is clever and fun and always uniquely quirky. Even tangents into the complicated back story of how the group was fractured 8 years ago are presented like stop motion animation from photograph cut-outs. With as much personality and off-the-wall antics as a 90s indie stunner, It’s What’s Inside is a really playful debut, filled with sharp camera techniques, hilarious characters, and a great hook.
Mapping out exactly who is who at different points of the movie is half the fun of watching. Trying to make sense of it as a writer must have required a dozen white boards and a complicated spread sheet, but for the actors it’s a chance to play multiple characters. It’s What’s Inside is like a horny, weed-fueled comedy spin-off of Black Mirror. It’s a wild ride, and one that’s’ got a few surprises up its sleeve, despite a title that really tells you nothing about the craziness it has in store.
WHERE TO WATCH IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE:
Greg Jardin’s It’s What’s Inside is streaming now on Netflix! Let us know what you thought of this sci-fi, weed-fueled techno thriller over in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord!
