It's What's Inside (2024)
October 11, 2024 7:10 AM - Subscribe
A pre-wedding reunion descends into a psychological nightmare for a group of college friends when a surprise guest arrives with a mysterious suitcase.
The debut feature length film by Greg Jardin. This movie was purchased at Sundance by Netflix for $17 million.
The debut feature length film by Greg Jardin. This movie was purchased at Sundance by Netflix for $17 million.
it currently rank #7 on Netflix. I'm a bit torn on this one. The director handled body swapping multiple characters twice and did so in a way that made it fairly easy to know who was in whose body while the characters themselves sometimes didn't. So that's pretty impressive.
However, populating the movie with entirely tedious characters definitely made this a bit of a struggle to care what was going on. Add to that, with so many characters, few get much development. Some are just one dimensional characters: pretty fuckboi, "spiritual" tourist, shallow influencer, and doormat. Others, like the host, don't even get that much development. In addition, the final reveal was obvious.
Another problem is the plot kinda falls apart upon examination. Forbes is deluded enough to think a body swap will help his mentally ill sister? And doesn't think using this with someone struggling with mental health would be dangerous?! The deaths of two of the participants isn't part of the planned revenge, but a surprise bonus. So why do 2 rounds? If the plan was to swap and run (as it appears to be) why not do it during the first round? I could go on, but basically lots of problems with the plot.
Despite all that, it's an ok watch. Not great, but ok.
posted by miss-lapin at 7:31 AM on October 11 [2 favorites]
However, populating the movie with entirely tedious characters definitely made this a bit of a struggle to care what was going on. Add to that, with so many characters, few get much development. Some are just one dimensional characters: pretty fuckboi, "spiritual" tourist, shallow influencer, and doormat. Others, like the host, don't even get that much development. In addition, the final reveal was obvious.
Another problem is the plot kinda falls apart upon examination. Forbes is deluded enough to think a body swap will help his mentally ill sister? And doesn't think using this with someone struggling with mental health would be dangerous?! The deaths of two of the participants isn't part of the planned revenge, but a surprise bonus. So why do 2 rounds? If the plan was to swap and run (as it appears to be) why not do it during the first round? I could go on, but basically lots of problems with the plot.
Despite all that, it's an ok watch. Not great, but ok.
posted by miss-lapin at 7:31 AM on October 11 [2 favorites]
Oh, you're right, I hadn't noticed that. Drat.
posted by Molesome at 3:50 PM on October 11 [1 favorite]
posted by Molesome at 3:50 PM on October 11 [1 favorite]
Maybe not great, but I quite enjoyed it. I can't think of many body swap stories that are thrillers rather than comedies, and some of the technical bits, like how they visualize who's really who, are very well done. I especially liked the way they showed flashbacks as constantly changing photographs.
posted by Sibrax at 5:12 PM on October 11
posted by Sibrax at 5:12 PM on October 11
First half is really awful, the characters are unlikable, a little like Bodies Bodies Bodies but worse. Extremely cishet and like teenager-brained, even though the characters are supposed to be older than that.
Does not help there's kind of a "core couple" but the gf is psychotically jealous and the bf is just a meek weasel.
Still, there are some cute things and it was kind of entertaining to run through remembering who was who, and thinking of the implications of the wrinkles.
posted by fleacircus at 11:16 PM on October 11
Does not help there's kind of a "core couple" but the gf is psychotically jealous and the bf is just a meek weasel.
Still, there are some cute things and it was kind of entertaining to run through remembering who was who, and thinking of the implications of the wrinkles.
posted by fleacircus at 11:16 PM on October 11
It's disappointing. Great idea, incredibly boring execution. How you could make a movie with this premise and not do any gender-bending is beyond me. The characters needed to be way more interesting and twisted. The narcissistic influencer should have literally fucked themselves. The angry posturing no-homo guy should either have been closeted or had a taste of his own medicine in a woman's body. There should have been all kinds of secrets, betrayals, and infidelities coming out. Beatrice and Forbes should have been in cohoots and The Last of Sheila-ing all of these shitty people, preferably socially rather than physically. The Last of Sheila + Perfect Strangers + Coherence.
Sadly, it's not that. It is the least interesting and least intelligent version of itself. There is almost no attempt to interrogate identity, gender, outward vs internal life, etc. The ending is also really weird, like it expects us to cheer for Shelby when she demonstrates that she is just as awful, if not more so, than everyone else.
That said, it's fast paced and kind of stylish. It's not boring, really, just unbelievably disappointing. I hope someone steals this idea and makes a good version of it.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 12:16 AM on October 14 [2 favorites]
Sadly, it's not that. It is the least interesting and least intelligent version of itself. There is almost no attempt to interrogate identity, gender, outward vs internal life, etc. The ending is also really weird, like it expects us to cheer for Shelby when she demonstrates that she is just as awful, if not more so, than everyone else.
That said, it's fast paced and kind of stylish. It's not boring, really, just unbelievably disappointing. I hope someone steals this idea and makes a good version of it.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 12:16 AM on October 14 [2 favorites]
I hope someone steals this idea and makes a good version of it.
Farscape did, over 20 years ago. Yes to polaroid pictures but also a YES to genderswapping. Amazing. ie when an alien in a human's body had to be taught how to urinate as a human.
A bit more recently, Lost Girl had this plus a murder mystery. Not to mention my favorite line from any bodyswap show ever - the bartender, about 20 seconds after everyone bodyswaps, heaves a heavy sigh and says "I'll go get the nametags". He's seen this shit before!
posted by Mogur at 6:14 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
Farscape did, over 20 years ago. Yes to polaroid pictures but also a YES to genderswapping. Amazing. ie when an alien in a human's body had to be taught how to urinate as a human.
A bit more recently, Lost Girl had this plus a murder mystery. Not to mention my favorite line from any bodyswap show ever - the bartender, about 20 seconds after everyone bodyswaps, heaves a heavy sigh and says "I'll go get the nametags". He's seen this shit before!
posted by Mogur at 6:14 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
This was shallow and loud but I laughed. The story in the second act dragged, but the ending stuck the landing, so I have mostly positive opinions.
The editing was really cool.
The multiple rounds thing made sense enough to me. Beatrice needed to turn everybody against each other to set up the conflict she needed, and she wanted a chance to take all of Dennis's money before settling in to Nikki.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:50 PM on October 17
The editing was really cool.
The multiple rounds thing made sense enough to me. Beatrice needed to turn everybody against each other to set up the conflict she needed, and she wanted a chance to take all of Dennis's money before settling in to Nikki.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:50 PM on October 17
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:23 AM on October 11