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Trigger Warning: This film review discusses topics of body perception and racial stereotyping which may prove uncomfortable for some readers.
“It’s What’s Inside” is a chilling examination of human insecurity and the lasting consequences of wanting to be someone else. Directed by Greg Jardin, the film follows the strained couple of Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini) as they reunite with college friends on the eve of a wedding. The movie shares the ensemble cast and horror-comedy vibe of “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” and has a body-swapping theme reminiscent of “Talk to Me.” Unlike those films, “It’s What’s Inside,” however, focuses less on class or the commodification of death, instead diving deep into identity, envy, and privilege.
Honoring a promise the group made years ago, the characters decide to reunite at Reuben’s (Devon Terrell) late mother’s estate. During this gathering, the group’s tangled love dynamics are revealed. Watchers find out that Cyrus is in love with self-declared philanthropist and influencer Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and has been since college. Nikki had a tryst with tattooed, trust fund baby Dennis (Gavin Leatherwood) in college. Reuben still has the hots for resident hippie, Buddhist Maya (Nina Bloomgarden), and resident stoner, artist Brooke (Reina Hardesty), seems to have latent feelings for Reuben. When their estranged eighth friend Forbes (David W. Thompson) shows up — equipped with a game that allows them to swap bodies — the night devolves into chaos.
From the beginning, “It’s What’s Inside” skillfully navigates the effects of public personas. In the opening scene, Cyrus toggles between Nikki’s Instagram and hardcore porn videos while Shelby stands in the bathroom mirror, mustering up the courage to roleplay as a blonde in an attempt to reignite their sex life. The couple’s lack of intimacy is further complicated by the stark difference between the appearances of Shelby and Nikki. Shelby, a biracial woman, stands at odds with Cyrus’ fantasy woman Nikki: a blonde, white woman.
On their way to the estate, Shelby is seen comparing her Instagram to Nikki’s, becoming visibly embarrassed that her photos don’t get the same engagement. In these scenes — and throughout the film — race plays a pivotal role in the movie’s attempt at a nuanced exploration of the desire to inhabit someone else’s identity.
Despite moments of brief moments of resonance, the film’s commentary on race is ultimately unbalanced.“It’s What’s Inside” highlights racial tension between Shelby and Nikki — and even Brooke, an Asian woman — while simultaneously stumbling through its handling of Reuben, the only black man in the group. At one point, Dennis jokingly asks if he can “say the n-word” if he gets put into Reuben’s body; later, Cyrus — in Reuben’s body — attempts to expose Reuben’s penis for laughs. These moments fall flat because they reinforce harmful stereotypes of Black manhood, reducing Reuben to a hypersexualized body and a target for crass humor; These choices completely undercut the film’s more serious exploration of identity and privilege.
When Reuben and Brooke — in Dennis and Maya’s bodies, respectively — die “la mort d’amour,” the stakes of the game are infinitely complicated. Since the rest of the group can’t swap back into dead bodies and the body-swapping machine has one use left for the next 24 hours, the group must face the possibility of becoming trapped in their borrowed bodies.
Here, the depths of each character’s respective flaws are brought to the surface. Most notably, Shelby, now in Nikki’s body, refuses to switch back after discovering firsthand that blondes have more fun. Her newfound access to a massive social media audience gives her little reason to want to return to her original body. Shelby’s proximity to whiteness affords her the social capital that she desires but leaves her further entrenched in a cycle of self-loathing and envy. Her illusion of happiness shatters when she suggests that she and Cyrus leave the estate with her still inhabiting Nikki’s body — and Cyrus agrees — confirming that Cyrus’s love will always belong to Nikki.
Visually, “It’s What’s Inside” is striking and utilizes dynamic camera work and creative transitions to reflect the chaos and mystique of body-swapping. However, putting this movie in conversation with its predecessors in the body-swapping film genre, “It’s What’s Inside” never shakes its Netflix-original quality.
The film becomes increasingly convoluted in the third act, with multiple body swaps and a disorienting plot twist. The film ends with Shelby, in her original body, breaking up with Cyrus — who ends up being falsely incarcerated for Dennis and Maya’s deaths. While Shelby’s ending speech is a valid attempt at a “good for her” closing, it leaves lingering questions about each character’s fate and whether Cyrus’s punishment is justified for the mere crime of desiring another woman.
“It’s What’s Inside” is an intriguing exploration of personhood that feels so current, but the work veers on obsolete. The film’s half-baked examination of race, its rocky finale, and the occasional narrative murkiness prevent it from reaching its full potential. Despite its flaws, the film offers a digestible dive into self-perception and the cost of envy — perfectly suitable for a movie night with friends. “It’s What’s Inside” isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s satisfying enough to hit the spot.
