Greg Jardin’s It’s What’s Inside hit Netflix like a fever dream, and honestly, it’s about time someone made a party-gone-wrong flick that actually feels like a panic attack. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s neon-soaked. If you’ve finished it and now you’re staring at your screen wondering where to find that same blend of "who is who" paranoia and high-concept sci-fi, you're in the right place.
Looking for movies like It’s What’s Inside isn't just about finding another thriller. It's about finding that specific itch—the one where identity is a fluid, terrifying currency. We aren't just talking about Freaky Friday here. We’re talking about the kind of cinema that makes you look at your best friend and wonder if they’re actually in there. It’s a specific subgenre that blends social satire with genuine existential dread.
The Identity Crisis Subgenre is Actually Terrifying
Let’s be real. The reason we’re obsessed with these stories is that they tap into the ultimate insecurity: what if I’m not me? Or worse, what if everyone sees me, but I’m trapped behind someone else’s eyes?
Talk to Me (2023) is a great starting point if the "party game gone wrong" aspect of It’s What’s Inside was what grabbed you. It’s an A24 darling from the Philippou brothers, and man, it’s mean. It replaces a high-tech body-swapping suitcase with a ceramic hand that lets spirits inhabit your body. It’s addictive. It’s viral. It’s basically the Gen Z version of a séance, and it captures that same reckless energy of young people playing with forces they absolutely do not understand. The consequences aren't just social embarrassment; they're eternal.
Then you have Coherence (2013). This is the low-budget king of this entire conversation. James Ward Byrkit shot this in his own house with basically no script, just outlines for the actors. It’s about a dinner party during a comet flyover. Things get weird. Then they get impossible. If you loved the "who can I trust?" logic puzzles in It’s What’s Inside, Coherence is your homework. You might need a notebook to track the different realities. It doesn't use flashy VFX. It just uses clever writing and a claustrophobic setting to ruin your night.
Why We Love Watching Rich People Fall Apart
There is a distinct "eat the rich" or at least "watch the privileged crumble" vibe in these films. It’s What’s Inside leans heavily into the aesthetics of wealth—the isolated mansion, the curated outfits, the baggage of old money and older secrets.
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Bodies Bodies Bodies is the obvious sibling here. It’s basically a slasher movie where the biggest weapon is a TikTok-era vocabulary. When a group of wealthy twenty-somethings get stuck in a mansion during a hurricane, a party game turns into a literal crime scene. Like Jardin’s film, it’s vibrant and cynical. It’s not just about the mystery; it’s about how quickly "friends" turn on each other when the power goes out. You realize these people never liked each other. They just liked how they looked next to each other.
Movies Like It’s What’s Inside That Lean Into Sci-Fi
If the tech-bro element of the "machine" was your favorite part, you need to look at Possessor (2020). Directed by Brandon Cronenberg—yes, the son of David Cronenberg—it’s much darker than anything on Netflix. It’s about an assassin who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies to take out high-profile targets.
It’s brutal.
The film explores the psychological toll of being inside someone else. When the protagonist, Tasya Vos, starts losing her own identity to the people she’s inhabiting, the movie becomes a visceral, gory masterpiece. It’s not a "fun" watch like a party thriller, but it addresses the mechanics of body-swapping with a level of seriousness that’s rare. It asks: if you spend all your time being someone else, what’s left of the original you?
The Social Commentary of Get Out
You can’t talk about movies like It’s What’s Inside without mentioning Jordan Peele’s Get Out. While it’s often categorized strictly as social horror, the "Sunken Place" and the transfer of consciousness are the foundational tropes Jardin is playing with.
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Peele uses the concept of body theft to talk about racial exploitation and the commodification of Black bodies. In It’s What’s Inside, the swapping is almost a hobby for the bored and wealthy. In Get Out, it’s a systemic, calculated theft. Both films use the "swap" to highlight the ugly truth about how we perceive others. It’s about the desire to possess what someone else has—their youth, their skin, their life—without actually caring about the person underneath.
The Psychological Horror of the "Double"
Sometimes the swap isn't with a friend, but with yourself. Or a version of yourself.
- The One I Love (2014): A couple goes to a retreat to save their marriage and finds... themselves. It starts as a quirky indie dramedy and turns into a chilling sci-fi mystery.
- Enemy (2013): Denis Villeneuve’s movie about a man who finds his exact physical double. It’s slow-burn, atmospheric, and features one of the most terrifying final shots in cinema history.
- Triangle (2009): A yachting trip goes wrong, leading a group to an abandoned ocean liner. It’s a loop movie, but it plays with identity and "versions" of people in a way that feels very much in line with the confusion of the Netflix hit.
Infinity Pool (2023) also fits the bill perfectly. It deals with clones, decadence, and the loss of self-respect. When you can just "swap" your consequences onto a double, do you even exist anymore? It’s a wild, hallucinogenic ride that pairs well with the neon-drenched aesthetic of Jardin's work.
Breaking Down the "Game" Format
There is something inherently cinematic about a game with rules. It’s What’s Inside works because we understand the stakes of the "swap." If you like that structured chaos, look for Game Night (which is much funnier but shares that escalating panic) or Ready or Not.
Ready or Not features Samara Weaving in a wedding dress trying to survive a game of hide-and-seek with her in-laws. It has that same biting social commentary. It’s about the lengths families will go to preserve their status. It’s fast-paced, bloody, and deeply satisfying.
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Does the Body-Swap Tropes Always Work?
Honestly? No. It’s a hard trope to pull off. The biggest challenge for a director is keeping the audience oriented. If you don’t know who is in whose body, you lose the emotional stakes. It’s What’s Inside uses specific visual cues—lighting, camera angles, and distinct acting choices—to keep the viewer grounded.
Critics of the genre often point to the "logic holes." For instance, in many of these films, the characters seem to forget basic facts about their own lives the second they swap. But that’s part of the fun. We aren't watching for a perfect scientific explanation of how a suitcase can swap souls. We’re watching to see people reveal their darkest impulses when they think they’re wearing a mask.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Movie Night
If you’re trying to recreate the vibe of It’s What’s Inside, don't just pick a random horror movie. You need something that balances "cool" with "creepy."
- Start with "Coherence" if you want to test your brain and your ability to track multiple storylines at once. It's the spiritual father of this genre.
- Move to "Bodies Bodies Bodies" if you want something that feels modern, cynical, and highly stylized. It’s the closest in terms of "vibes."
- Queue up "Possessor" for a late-night, intense experience. Warning: it’s significantly more graphic than the others, but it’s a masterclass in identity horror.
- Check out "The Invitation" (2015)—not the vampire one, but the Karyn Kusama film. It captures that slow-building dread of a dinner party where something is just off. It doesn't have the sci-fi swap, but it has the same "I don't know these people" energy.
The beauty of these films lies in the discomfort. They remind us that even our closest friends are, in some ways, strangers. We only ever see the version of them they choose to show us. When a movie like It's What's Inside strips that away, it's not just the characters who are exposed—it's our own fears about being truly seen.
Check these titles out on platforms like Max, Netflix, or Shudder. Most of the indie ones, like Coherence, are often available for free with ads on Tubi or Pluto TV. Pop some popcorn, put your phone away (seriously, you’ll get lost if you don't pay attention), and enjoy the identity crisis.