Welcome to Knockout Horror. It’s day 16 of our 2024 31 Days of Halloween feature and we are going back to the well of recent horror. Today we will be checking out Greg Jardin’s It’s What’s Inside. This movie released at the beginning of October on Netflix so you should be able to check it out there right now.
This movie follows a group of friends meeting up to celebrate an impending wedding. An old friend that the group haven’t seen in years has been invited but nobody is sure whether he will turn up. When he does, the group are surprised, not only, by him accepting the invitation but also by the mysterious suitcase he brings. A suitcase which contains a game which will make this a night the friends will remember forever.
Starts Off So Strong
It’s What’s Inside is a poppy, neon, visual feast of a movie. Starting off with bickering couple Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini). It is clear, right away, that this is a horror with a fiendish sense of humour. A humour that doesn’t let up and provides a strong focus in the early part of the movie.
Jardin pairs it up with a stylish presentation that is somewhere between film noir, night club chic, comic book cool and video game vibes. Black and white stills offer layers of exposition to fill us in on the group’s friendship dynamic. While pinks, reds and blues bleed through the animated smoke enveloping the room. It is made apparent, early on, that this is a film keen to play around with the concepts of colour and identity.
For the most part, it really works. In fact, it is fair to say that there really aren’t a lot of movies that look and feel quite like It’s What’s Inside. The aesthetics are fantastic and the keen focus on making the viewer laugh pulls them into the centre of the friendship group. For the first half an hour, or so, this is a movie that is light and easy to enjoy. Naturally, there are complex dynamics at play, here, as with any collection of people who call themselves friends. But it isn’t until the estranged Forbes (David Thompson) arrives that the dynamics are challenged.
An Interesting Concept
I don’t want to spoil anything here as the game the friends play is sort of key to the plot. Spoiling it would remove some of the surprise. It goes without saying, however, that the idea is a very original one. I haven’t seen anything quite like it before and, for the most part, it works well. Early parts of the movie feel refreshing and the concept at play works pretty well to keep things interesting. It isn’t until the halfway point that things started to fall apart a little bit, in my opinion.
It becomes apparent, pretty quickly, that the idea here wouldn’t be anywhere near as appealing as the characters are making it out to be. In movies like Talk To Me, the kids all want to try talking to the dead because it is exhilarating. That just isn’t the case here, it is an idea with limited appeal. The participants in the game don’t benefit in any major way and it is difficult to see why they would enjoy doing it so much and want to keep engaging with it. It is clear, early on, that this is purely a tool to facilitate some fairly unique thriller ideas.
A Bit Ridiculous
The thrills really takes a long time to come. In fact, we have nearly an hour of preamble before anything of note happens. While it can be tough to see what direction the movie is going to go in. A lot of that is down to the fact that it doesn’t make an enormous amount of sense. That is something that It’s What’s Inside engages in heavily, throughout. Not a lot of what happens, in general, makes sense. The character’s reactions don’t make sense. None of the motivations make sense and the idea is very, very, loosely put together.
It becomes clear that this is a movie that might tie itself in knots and it absolutely does. In just trying to push forward through the fairly loosely formulated idea it wraps itself up more and more. It may take viewers a lot of concentration to follow the plot and it can feel very messy, at times. I couldn’t escape the thought that much of what happens just doesn’t work.
It doesn’t make for decent horror, either. Something that has me wondering why I have seen this movie recommend so frequently by horror fans. My fiancee described it as a “horny sci-fi comedy” movie and that’s probably the most accurate way to put it. It’s not all that thrilling and the silliness of the story really robs from the tension.
The ending is beyond farcical, as well. Jardin attempts to bring everything together and tie it up with a neat bow but it really doesn’t work. Numerous parts of the last thirty minutes will have you questioning the character’s actions. Little of it makes sense and the final scene makes even less sense than that. Taking a character with a fairly simple issue and having them blow it up and overreact to a level that would be considered ridiculous by even the most histrionic of people.
Still Very Watchable
With all of that being said, there is still a lot to like about It’s What’s Inside. Pushing aside some of the silliness of the plot. The comedy elements are very enjoyable, the character interactions are fun, and the movie is incredibly stylish. Cinematography is a joy to behold and the score is both unique and creative. The script has some high points and special praise has to go to the variety of interesting locations.
It’s enjoyable for much of its length and feels very unique. The idea behind the game will really be appealing to some. I just couldn’t see the point in it or why the characters would be all that interested in engaging with it. Still, I can’t say I have seen too many movies like this, before. Acting is solid throughout with nobody feeling like a weak link. A lot of heavy lifting is needed by the actors, considering the theme, and everyone does a really nice job.
Should You Watch It’s What’s Inside?
You should definitely watch It’s What’s Inside. It’s a very original concept, funny, interesting and stylish as hell. Acting is great and the movie feels unique among an orgy of all too similar thrillers. My only issues are that the concept doesn’t make a great deal of sense and it ties itself in knots throughout. It is going to take a decent amount of concentration to follow and, even then, it all doesn’t add up too well in the end. Messy but still very enjoyable.
