You know that feeling when you're at a party and you realize you actually kind of hate everyone there? Now imagine if you could literally jump into their skin. That’s the chaotic, neon-drenched premise of Greg Jardin’s directorial debut. It's What's Inside hit Netflix after a massive $17 million Sundance bidding war, and honestly, it’s one of the few times the hype actually matches the adrenaline of the watch. It is a genre-bending blend of sci-fi, dark comedy, and a "whodunnit" where the "who" is constantly changing bodies.
The movie kicks off with a group of college friends reuniting for a pre-wedding party. They’re the kind of people who have too much history and not enough actual current connection. Then Forbes shows up. Forbes is the estranged friend, played with a creepy, tech-bro energy by David Thompson, and he brings a mysterious suitcase. Inside is a machine that allows for total neural displacement. Basically, body swapping. It starts as a game—a high-stakes version of "guess who I am"—but things go south fast. Very fast.
The Identity Crisis at the Heart of It's What's Inside
Most body-swap movies like Freaky Friday or The Change-Up use the trope for a "walk a mile in my shoes" moral lesson. This movie isn't interested in lessons. It’s interested in the messy, selfish reality of what happens when people are given total anonymity. When you aren't in your own body, do your morals even count?
The plot centers on Cyrus (James Morosini) and Shelby (Brittany O'Grady), a couple whose relationship is already on life-support. Shelby is trying too hard; Cyrus is bored and scrolling through the Instagram of an influencer friend who also happens to be at the party. When the swapping begins, the movie utilizes a genius visual trick: Jardin uses colored lighting to help the audience keep track of who is in whose body, but even then, it’s designed to make you feel as disoriented as the characters.
One of the most striking things about It's What's Inside is how it handles the "rules" of its sci-fi conceit. There aren't long, boring scenes of technobabble explaining how the machine works. It just works. You put on the electrodes, you flip a switch, and suddenly you're looking at your own face from across the room. This lack of hand-holding is refreshing. It trusts the audience to keep up with the musical chairs of consciousness.
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Why the Casting Makes the Chaos Work
In a movie where actors have to play other actors playing their characters, the performances are everything. Brittany O'Grady is spectacular as Shelby, particularly when she's "inhabited" by a personality that is the polar opposite of her mousy, insecure self. You can see the shift in her posture, the way she holds a drink, and the sudden, predatory sharpness in her eyes.
Then there’s Alycia Debnam-Carey. Most people know her from Fear the Walking Dead, but here she plays Nikki, the aforementioned influencer. Her performance is a nuanced take on the "pretty girl" archetype. When someone else enters Nikki's body, they treat it like a luxury car they’ve stolen for a joyride. It’s a cynical, sharp commentary on how we objectify people based on their physical shells.
A Technical Masterclass in Low-Budget Sci-Fi
Greg Jardin didn't have a Marvel budget for this. He didn't need one. The film stays mostly in one house, using fast-paced editing and a relentless soundtrack to create a sense of claustrophobia. The cinematography by Kevin Fletcher is vibrant, almost nauseatingly so at times, reflecting the drug-like high the characters feel while swapping.
The editing is the real star here. To keep the audience from getting totally lost, the film occasionally uses quick "flashes" back to the original person's face. It's a clever way to remind us of the internal stakes. If you look at the work of directors like Edgar Wright, you can see the influence—it’s all about the rhythm. Short cuts. Loud sound cues. Whip-pans. It's exhausting in the best way possible.
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It's What's Inside also touches on something very 2024/2025: the curated self. We all live with digital avatars. We swap "bodies" every time we post a filtered photo or adopt a specific tone on Twitter. The movie just takes that metaphor and makes it literal.
The Twist You Won't See Coming (No Spoilers)
Without giving away the ending, it's worth noting that the third act takes a hard turn into thriller territory. What starts as a fun, trippy experiment becomes a desperate scramble for survival. The stakes aren't just about who is in which body; they're about who stays in which body. Permanently.
There’s a specific moment involving a balcony and a camera that shifts the tone from "edgy comedy" to "horror" in about three seconds. It’s jarring. It’s meant to be. The film forces you to confront the fact that these people don't actually like each other. They like the idea of each other, or worse, they like what they can get from each other.
Navigating the Confusion: A Practical Guide
If you're planning to watch It's What's Inside, or if you've already seen it and your brain is a bit fried, here are a few things to keep in mind to better understand the narrative structure:
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- Watch the Clothes: Even when bodies swap, the characters often retain a "vibe" through their movement and how they carry the clothes they didn't choose.
- The Red Room: Pay close attention to the scenes in the attic. The lighting changes aren't just for aesthetics; they often signal a shift in the "reality" of the game.
- Cyrus's Motivation: Keep an eye on Cyrus. He is arguably the most "hollow" character, which makes him the most dangerous when given the keys to someone else's life.
- Listen to the Score: The music often mimics the heartbeat of the character currently leading the scene.
A lot of critics have compared this to Bodies Bodies Bodies or Talk to Me. That's fair. It shares that Gen Z/Millennial nihilism. But there's a specific cruelty to this movie that feels unique. It's about the theft of identity. In an age where identity is everything, losing yours—or having it stolen by a "friend"—is the ultimate violation.
What We Can Learn From the Chaos
Honestly, the movie is a giant cautionary tale about honesty. If Shelby and Cyrus had just had a therapist and a few honest conversations, none of this would have happened. But then we wouldn't have a movie. The film suggests that our secrets are the only things that actually belong to us. Once you share a secret—or a neural pathway—you're no longer in control.
The ending is divisive. Some people find it too cynical. Others think it's the only logical conclusion for a group of people this self-obsessed. Regardless of where you land, it’s a film that demands a second watch just to see the clues you missed the first time around. You’ll notice the small tells. A certain way Forbes looks at the machine. The way certain characters avoid eye contact with their own reflections.
How to Get the Most Out of the Movie
To truly appreciate the layers Greg Jardin built into this story, don't just treat it as background noise. This is a "phone-down" movie. If you look away for two minutes, you will lose track of who is currently inhabiting whom, and the rest of the film will just be a blur of shouting actors.
- Observe the "Tells": Each actor was tasked with mimicking the physical tics of their costars. Look for the way "Forbes" moves when he's not really Forbes.
- Analyze the Power Dynamics: Notice who wants to swap the most. It’s usually the person with the least power in the real world.
- Track the Suitcase: The machine itself is a character. Its presence in the room changes the gravity of every interaction.
Ultimately, It's What's Inside is a reminder that the people we call friends are often just people we've known a long time. Time doesn't equal intimacy. And in the dark, with the lights flashing and a machine humming in the corner, you might find out that the person standing next to you is a total stranger—even if they're wearing your face.
The film is currently streaming on Netflix and is a must-watch for anyone who likes their sci-fi with a side of social anxiety and a heavy dose of neon. It’s fast, it’s mean, and it’s undeniably clever. It’s exactly the kind of mid-budget original storytelling that people claim doesn't exist anymore. Turns out, it was just hiding inside a mysterious silver suitcase.