- Date of Release: 04 October 2024
- Genre: Comedy, Mystery, SciFi, Thriller
- Language: English
- Watch On: Netflix
It's What's Inside
Introduction
One of the most fascinating templates on celluloid is that of a group of people in a single room against the backdrop of an intriguing setting. What this template ensures is a solid premise which can be eventually expanded in different directions. Be it the tense exchanges in the film 12 Angry Men, or an evening of startling truths and escapades in the film Perfect Strangers, or even taking the same template and transforming it into a murder mystery like 12th Man or Neeyat. The success ratio is almost guaranteed if the filmmakers make good use of this template. And this is also where the new English film It’s What’s Inside manages to impress. Borrowing a leaf out of the template of a group of friends assembling at a single location, it completely turns the concept on its head with the introduction of a body-swap science-fiction horror that works on the dynamics between characters and their past perceptions before completely going bonkers with the level of chaos. As a result, the drama does unfold like a black comedy that is laced with chaos and trippy confusion which eventually contributes towards it being a memorable watch.
Story & Screenplay
The premise of It’s What’s Inside is simple – a group of friends assemble for a pre-wedding party that soon descends into a nightmare following a mysterious game initiated by one of the folks with a mysterious suitcase. The story can be looked through the gaze of a black comedy with traces of science-fiction, broadly speaking. But intricately, it is a story of aspiration, a key ingredient that drives the narrative ahead. Very early in the film, you are acquainted with one of the protagonists Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) who often looks up to the kind of success that Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey) as an influenzer. The latter is definitely more popular because of her looks that invariably translates into building her brand on the social media. So much so that even Shelby’s boyfriend Cyrus (James Morosini) isn’t quite turned on by her during a potential role-play that signals early signs of tension in the group.
There is an inherent sense of intrigue with its setting that builds up a layer of tension amidst a sense of anticipation amongst the viewers, even as the characters are introduced one by one. The information provided to the viewers is minimalistic and superficial with respect to most characters, while building up a sense of mystery with regard to Forbes (David Thompson), a character that did share a wild past with the group. And whilst all characters assemble, the levels of curiosity rise even with the introduction of a concept that seemed far-fetched to begin with. The concept of a body swap may have been briefly explored on celluloid before but in the context of the setting, it definitely added to the intrigue – both for its viewers and the characters that unknowingly signed up for their worst nightmare.
The proceedings move at a break-neck pace so much so that you need a lot of focus to understand the body-swaps that take place swiftly. If the little demo was anything to go by, the seemingly harmless game threatens to get out of hand even as the characters are exposed to the complexities of their identities with regard to their physical appearance. The nature of the drama is trippy and quite wild, even as the group collectiveky decides to venture into the second disastrous round that further complicates the dynamics between characters. What started off as a harmless game, soon switches to a horrifying thriller with the concept of lust, ambition and power ruling the roosts. And while the writers do touch upon the ethnocentrism, the key driving ingredient is that of ambition that completely skews the prevalent relationships. The twist in the drama is meticulously used to raise the stakes in the drama further even as ambition takes center stage in the final act. The multiple twists at the end almost made me chuckle (in a good way), wherein the use of dark comedy was at its finest! Overall, the screenplay is very well penned and makes for a supremely trippy watch that will make your head spin.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but the underlying themes of the drama are wonderfully explored through the lines that highlight the unsaid emotions really well. The BGM is perfectly in sync with the mood of the drama while enhancing the levels of intrigue in most scenes. The cinematography comprises of frames does add layers of intrigue to the drama, and coupled with the lighting, the arena exudes of multiple hues that reflects of a trippy setup. The editing is crisp and sharp with some amazing match cuts and transition cuts that further elevate the drama even with its eccentric theme. Director Greg Jardin does a stellar job in constructing this drama that is trippy with its setup and exudes of a horrifying playful energy. He does back the drama with an interesting set of characters, almost allowing them a free-hand to react to the situation, except that each character needs to process the thinking of the ‘other’ character. If that sounds crazy then you do know how complicated this subject was to execute in reality, and the director does a stupendous job here.
Performances
The performances are incredibly good by the ensemble cast. The interesting but here is that each character does lead a dual life at most points in the screenplay, and so the performances were tricky in many ways. Yet, it was heartening to witness such excellent performances here. Madison Davenport as Beatrice makes a late entry but is immensely effective despite a limited screen-time. Nina Bloomgarden as Maya, Reina Hardesty as Brooke and Gavin Leatherwood as Dennis are such competant actors who leave a lasting impression with their trippy acts that are perfectly in sync with the world that the drama was set in. Devon Terrell as Reuben and James Morosini as Cyrus are wonderful to witness, and each of them perfectly represent a suppressed emotion along the way with respect to the characters that they essay. David Thompson as Forbes is a character who is mysterious, and the intentions of the character are only revealed at the end. During this period, David had a range of emotions to play with – being the stoic geeky version of himself to begin with while showcasing traces of panic towards the tapering end of the drama. He was truly fabulous to witness here. Alycia Debnam-Carey as Nikki has a stellar presence onscreen even while she portrays a ‘different’ character at a point in the screenplay. She has a commanding presence and she does a wonderful job here. Brittany O’Grady as Shelby was a complex character with layers because of the insecurities and vulnerabilities that she was undergoing. Add to this, she also had to essay a ‘different’ character along the way, and this was by no means an easy task. And she was that one actor that consistently hit the right beats with regards to the emotions that amounted to an excellent performance overall.
Conclusion
It’s What’s Inside is a mind-bending body-swap horror with incredible technical aspects and performances that truly win you over. It is unique with its concept and makes amends with its trippy execution in a brilliant drama that will make your head spin like never before (in a good way). Available on Netflix and Highly Recommended!