Perfect for Halloween: New A24-Esque Horror Comedy Just Blew Up Netflix's Top 5
It's a group of old friends and a strange game.
This year's traditional Halloween selection of horror films is as varied as it is entertaining: Gary Dauberman's new adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, Demi Moore in Substance, and Tim Burton's sequel to Beetlejuice.
Independent cinema is not far behind, with the cinephile thriller Strange Darling surprising audiences at the Fantasia genre festival and the satirical horror film It's What's Inside winning over critics at Sundance.
The film, from up-and-coming filmmaker Greg Jardin, was bought by Netflix for a record $17 million. But will It's What's Inside be able to win the eternal Halloween streaming race for viewers' attention?
What Is It's What's Inside About?
The plot of the film revolves around a group of childhood friends going to a pre-wedding party.
Shelby and Cyrus are going through a rough patch in their relationship and want to try something new. Maya secretly dreams of stealing newlywed Reuben away from his bride Nikki, a popular blogger. Brooke has her eye on Dennis, who used to date Nikki. Shelby is not above cheating on Shelby with Nikki, and Reuben is ready to spend his last bachelor night with Maya.
The situation escalates when Forbes, a former high school tech whiz who was expelled for a scandal many years ago, suddenly shows up at the party. Forbes is not alone, but accompanied by a new invention that allows the friends to swap bodies and play Guess Who.
It's What's Inside Is a Worthy Attempt to Repeat the A24 Success
Cozy gatherings continue to be the main inspiration for a number of independent horror filmmakers – not just because it's cheap, but because it's just plain fun. In the comedy-horror Bodies Bodies Bodies, a group of friends search for a serial killer in a giant mansion, while in the recent Talk to Me Australian teenagers hold spiritualist séances. It is worth noting that both films are associated with A24, the main purveyor of arthouse cinema these days.
It's What's Inside is a modest attempt by less influential and well-known studios to enter the territory of stylised genre cinema. Fortunately, the film finds its own voice and sound.
It's What's Inside Is Rather Messy, But Still Exciting
It's What's Inside is a rather chaotic film: with the rapid changes of faces, bodies and personalities, it's easy to forget who is called what and who is related to whom. At first, neither the characters nor the audience know who's in whose body this time – you have to pay close attention to what's going on, because any detail you miss will disrupt the chain of events.
As is so often the case, the characters, having thrown off their social shackles, plunge into the chaos – taboo and secret desires erupt, and the consequences threaten to destroy not one but several lives at once.
It's What's Inside successfully balances the genres of horror and comedy. The crazy rhythm, collage and clip inserts make it a new generation TikTok film that gives the viewer the maximum amount of information in the shortest amount of time. And in this case it is a good thing.