The concept of game nights gone wrong has become a trend in the thriller genre with “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Talk to me” having been two of the best grossing movies of the genre this decade. This format is what writer-director Greg Jardin Eugandia employs on his feature debut, “It’s What’s Inside,” which is available on Netflix now.
It seems that Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini) are experiencing difficulty in their relationship as they are now on the verge of breaking up. Dating for almost ten years, with no sexual activity and no promises, their interactions are strained and neglected. To make matters worse, with their college mate Reuben (Devon Terrell) getting married in a few days, they start traveling to his mother’s deserted estate where they are expected to meet their old childhood friends one last time before the wedding.
They reunite with their university buddies bold pothead brooke (Reina Hardesty), hunky party dennis (Gavin Leatherwood), spiritual bum maya (Nina Bloomgarden), but out of all those people, it was influencer Nikki (Alycia Debnam Carey) that caught her attention since Cyrus had a crush on her and Shelby detested execution. The rest of the group wonders if their other friend Forbes (David Thompson), whom they have a sordid history with because of their role in getting him thrown out of college, will turn up. He appears at the back window with an air of secrecy and a leather case in hand.
Given that he works with advanced technology, it was expected that the case would hold some form of invention and sure enough it did. He suggests a game and eyes automatically shoot around. Not with their eyes, but with switches. Anyone that uses the switches poignantly becomes switched when electrodes are put onto their head.
The objective of the game is to determine who the protagonist is within the one being questioned. It is a screwy rendition of the mafia with which the crew boredly entertains their unfulfilled fantasies, jealousies, and grudges.
In terms of a plot, it is hard-pressed to ignore the blatant resemblance to “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies.” The name itself, the opulent mansion, the plan out a little bit friend and a ghetto version of Mafia, comes close not to scare you but to almost make you laugh. There’s even the similar friend groups bashing satire or voyeurism, except that the former takes scoffs at Gen-Z while “It’s What’s Inside” specifically mocks Generation Y audience through themes of commitment and satisfaction.
“It’s What’s Inside” is a funny movie with soft horror sprinkled in. With the trade of bodies and the realization of the space and confidence envy objects provided Jardin only explores the surface of the disturbing and the existential what the audience expects from the format. Considering such delighted possibilities within the concept of the film, one would imagine that ‘It’s What’s Inside’ could have easily gotten carried away with irreverent narrative devices to heighten thrills and excitement to extreme levels. Rather, “It’s What’s Inside” chooses to be cautious.
What does indeed succeed is the sense of humor Jardin’s pen brings about.
The film’s clique is hilarious, particularly because the mixture of character types creates an almost endless opportunity for comedic conflict. These characters may be portrayed as Z-list actors but they are Z-list actors who we have met in this world. Overall, the film depicts perfectly the awkwardness of the reunion of the ex-best friends. It is always so nice to visit the past but the visit does not stop there; it also goes to places where there are certain problems and scars that had no chance of healing completely. After the university phase, a snap goes off. A snap that turns our lives in such a way that we can be entirely different people from the identity we once had. And voices, old yet familiar, burst forth when they hear their names. When reunited, late teens/early twenty selves reside behind their ears. All these emotions are present in the story that “It’s What’s Inside” tells, focusing on the most important of these feelings.
It’s not often that the majority relishes on their style during filmmaking, but Jardin is bold enough to do so as he utilizes split screens and emphatic neon colors. These features, combined with witty and almost cartoonish flashbacks provided by photography which never stays in one place, contribute to the longing, which allows the film’s heavy thematic concerns to float in space, managing to capture the essence of being intoxicated, while engaging in chat about good old days.
With differing personalities inhabiting the same physical form, casting allows for inventive versatility as the actors switch roles. When in character as Forbes, Thompson is deliberately cartoonish strange, but not in a bad way. The two are equally skillful in this pursuit because the actor who plays the main character is the first one we meet in the movie and makes a strong impression.
In most instances, the supporting actors subscribe to the idea of enhancing Jardin’s text as Morosini and Debnam-Carey, who excel are the exceptions. Debnam-Carey transitions from vapid, humorous self-absorption to a very animated, weak self in some middle section which is rather striking given that this is also predominantly a comic film but there’s also a sensor takes you off guard during this particular sequence.
The humor coming from Morosini’s combative and sarcastic touch at the end of the third act, is a lot to take as the theatrics slowly start coming to an end as well.
But unfortunately, the conclusion of the film brings in a separate perspective and emotional depth which does not seem completely justified, which also strays from the pace set by Jardin. ‘It’s What’s Inside’ is interesting as it scopes the relational tension within a friend group as well as the personalities of its members, despite the fact that it is too much of a sheltered experience.
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