“It’s What’s Inside” Should Be a Far Scarier Thriller

If it’s really what’s on the inside that counts, this Portland-shot horror movie doesn’t have much going on in there.

It's What's Inside (Courtesy of IMDB)
By Andrew Jankowski

The Portland-filmed horror movie It’s What’s Inside started streaming on Friday, Oct. 4, after premiering in January at the Sundance Film Festival. Despite an intriguing concept and conventionally cute cast, writer/director Greg Jardin’s debut feature length film is a dull, shallow existential thriller that squanders its promising potential.

A group of former college friends, including bickering couple Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini), reunite at the family mansion of Reuben (Devon Terrell) to celebrate his wedding. Shelby obsesses over professional influencer Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey), the object of Cyrus’ unrequited feelings. Reuben invites the group’s long-estranged friend, Forbes (David W. Thompson). Forbes’ mysterious suitcase and reputation for gameplay at parties reveals a mind-swapping contraption. The group’s dynamics are tested by the out of body experience, and forever changed when their circuit goes haywire.

That event, the only interesting idea It’s What’s Inside explores, finally happens at the start of the third act. Its last half hour is rushed as the movie scrambles to make up for lost time. The cast lacks the complex chemistry of a nine-year, homie-hopping friend group, and nobody believably acts like one another when they switch roles. And if your movie is set in Portland—though, it could be anywhere in the Pacific Northwest where a drone can find pine trees and fog—how does 911 answer before the first ring, and the cops show up faster than a delivery pizza?

It’s What’s Inside is rife with chances for thoughtful social commentary, but is openly disinterested in those discussions. Why bother, when you can play neurological Spin the Bottle and possibly make out with yourself? That doesn’t happen, but maybe that’s coming in the obviously set-up sequel there’s little point in streaming. The social media-minded movie focuses heavily on Nikki’s body and the economic power its perceived beauty affords her, but you can probably figure out the message before this movie does.

If it’s really what’s on the inside that counts, It’s What’s Inside doesn’t have much going on in there. R. ANDREW JANKOWSKI. Netflix.

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