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It's What's Inside

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It's What's Inside
Release poster
Directed byGreg Jardin
Written byGreg Jardin
Produced by
  • William Rosenfeld
  • Kate Andrews
  • Jason Baum
  • Raúl Domingo
Starring
CinematographyKevin Fletcher
Edited byGreg Jardin
Music byAndrew Hewitt
Production
companies
  • Such Content
  • Edith Productions
  • Boldly Go Productions
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
  • October 4, 2024 (2024-10-04) (United States)
Running time
103 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million[2]

It's What's Inside is a 2024 American science fiction comedy horror[3][4][5] film written and directed by Greg Jardin. It stars Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, David Thompson, and Madison Davenport.

The film had its world premiere in the Midnight section of the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and was released on Netflix on October 4, 2024.

Plot

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Couple Shelby and Cyrus and their friends Reuben, Dennis, Nikki, Brooke, and Maya gather at Reuben's family home for a party before Reuben's wedding. Also due to attend is their mutual friend Forbes, whom they have not seen since a party at college for which Forbes got expelled for bringing his high school student sister Beatrice. Beatrice, obsessed with Dennis who was dating Nikki, was admitted to a mental facility.

Forbes arrives at the party, carrying a suitcase. Inside the case is a device that allows them to swap bodies with one another. Forbes explains that he and his colleagues would use it to play a game where they have to guess who is in their bodies. After doing a short demonstration on the group, they all eventually agree to participate, taking Polaroid photos for identification.

When round 1 begins, the group incorrectly guesses that Cyrus is in Dennis' body. To Cyrus' (who is actually in Reuben's body) surprise, Forbes, who is the one in Dennis' body, plays along with the lie, pretending to be Cyrus. Deciding to play along himself, Cyrus encounters Maya who is in Nikki's body, and the two kiss.

Unnerved by Forbes' lie, Cyrus declines to take part in round 2 but relents after the initially timid Shelby eagerly agrees to take part. Forbes explains this will be the last round before the machine takes 24 hours to recharge. When the round begins, Shelby swaps into Nikki's body and is quickly enamored by her good looks and successful social media career. Cyrus, who is in Forbes' body, panics and demands they end the game. As the group gathers in the house to switch back, the house's rooftop balcony collapses, and Reuben in Dennis' body and Brooke in Maya's body, who were up there having sex, fall to their deaths.

Arguing over what to do, Forbes refuses to let the group call the police and let the device go into their custody. Dennis, furious at the suggestion he has to swap into Reuben's body, argues with Cyrus and reveals Cyrus only settled for Shelby as he could not date Nikki. Dennis calls the police, claiming that Cyrus has killed Dennis and Maya. Forbes attempts to flee with the device but is subdued by Nikki. Shelby refuses to swap back and leave Nikki's body.

Cyrus tries to make amends with Shelby, but Maya tells Shelby that Cyrus had kissed her while pretending to be Forbes in the first round of the game. Forbes awakens, and Nikki tries to convince him to make the swap. Shelby appears, threatening to ruin Nikki's career with a damaging video. Shelby proposes that if Cyrus wants Nikki then she can stay in Nikki's body, and he can go into Reuben's body, while Dennis, in Cyrus' body, takes the fall for the deaths. Nikki allies with Forbes to swap back into their original bodies, and Nikki makes Shelby have an allergic reaction to peanut butter, refusing to give over the EpiPen unless Forbes checks the wiring. Dennis discovers money from his trust fund has been transferred into an offshore account and accuses Cyrus. The police enter the house as the group has set off the device.

The next day, Beatrice arrives at the house to discover the wedding has been called off. Seeing Dennis in Forbes' body, she reveals that she is the real Forbes, and that Beatrice had swapped bodies with him to enact revenge on Dennis and Nikki. In the aftermath, Shelby and an imprisoned Cyrus have returned to their bodies, while Beatrice, now in Nikki's body, escapes with Dennis' money and the device.

Cast

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Production

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In November 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that the independent film completed production, after filming for 18 days in Portland, Oregon.[7] Greg Jardin directed and wrote the screenplay. Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden, David Thompson, and Madison Davenport round out the cast.[8][6] The film is a co-production between Such Content, Edith Productions, and Boldly Go Productions. It was produced by William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum, and Raùl Domingo. Colman Domingo and Robert Kapp were the two lead executive producers.[9] Andrew Hewitt composed the score for the film.[10]

Release

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It's What's Inside had its world premiere in the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.[11][1] Shortly after, Netflix acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for $17 million in the largest deal made at that edition of the festival.[9] It also screened at South by Southwest on March 15, 2024.[12][13] The film was released on Netflix on October 4, 2024.[14]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 75 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Cleverly constructed and leaping off the screen with stylistic verve, It's What's Inside centers around a party from hell that audiences can enjoy from a safe remove."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 57 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[16]

Notes

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  1. ^ All character names and descriptors in this list is sourced by Variety:[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "It's What's Inside". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  2. ^ Davids, Brian (October 4, 2024). "How 'It's What's Inside' Filmmaker Greg Jardin Secured a $17 Million Bag From Netflix at Sundance". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Witherspoon, Patrice (January 24, 2024). "It's What's Inside Review: Savvy Sci-Fi Horror Mystery Is Cleverly Mind-Bending". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Searles, Jourdain (January 26, 2024). "'It's What's Inside' Review: Instagram Beauty Standards Are the Real Villain of This Breakout Sundance Horror Hit". IndieWire. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  5. ^ McIndoe, Ross (September 29, 2024). "'It's What's Inside' Review: Greg Jardin's Maximalist Black Comedy". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Lodge, Guy (January 21, 2024). "It's What's Inside Review: Roleplay Games Spiral Out of Control in an Increasingly Hysterical Horror Comedy". Variety. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Earl, William (October 5, 2024). "'It's What's Inside' Team Breaks Down Selling Their Low Budget Thriller to Netflix for $17 Million, Reveals a Wild Alternate Ending and Sequel Potential". Variety. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (November 22, 2022). "'White Lotus' Actress Brittany O'Grady & 'Fear The Walking Dead' Star Alycia Debnam-Carey Among Cast For Sci-Fi Thriller 'It's What's Inside' From Colman Domingo's Edith Productions". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 22, 2024). "Netflix Lands Sundance Title 'It's What's Inside;' $17M For Worldwide Rights Sets Fest High Bar". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "Andrew Hewitt Scoring Greg Jardin's 'It's What's Inside'". Film Music Reporter. January 1, 2024. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  11. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 6, 2023). "Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Complex, Valerie (January 10, 2024). "SXSW Lineup Sets 'The Fall Guy', '3 Body Problem' Among Fest's 2024 World Premieres As First Titles Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "It's What's Inside". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  14. ^ Romero, Ariana (August 22, 2024). "It's What's Inside: Get a Sneak Peek Inside the Genre-Bending Thriller". Netflix. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "It's What's Inside". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 8, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  16. ^ "It's What's Inside". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
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