The real testament to a strong relationship is the ability to honestly communicate thoughts and feelings without the fear of retaliation. This complicated concept is so cleverly explored in Greg Jardin’s feature directorial debut It’s What’s Inside. College sweethearts Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) and Cyrus (James Morosini) struggle with their communication, and their attempt to light a romantic fire under their dying relationship fails at every turn. To rekindle their flame, the couple join an old college friend, Reuben (Devon Terrell), for a weekend get-away before he’s set to say “I do” to his fiancée Sophia.

It’s What’s Inside Is An Intense Examination Of Human Behavior

The friend group includes internet influencer Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey), confident Brooke (Reina Hardesty), calm stoner Maya (Nina Bloomgarden), and hard-shelled Dennis (Gavin Leatherwood). All is well at the party until their estranged friend Forbes (David W. Thompson) shows up with a mysterious suitcase. What’s inside the case? Well, that’s something you definitely do not want spoiled for you. But let’s just say that it contains something that will reveal dark secrets and strong desires. It could either be their biggest nightmare or their greatest dream, and it will change the lives of these characters — for better or for worse.

I can confidently say that Jardin’s It’s What’s Inside is some of the most fun I’ve had watching a film at a festival. The synopsis doesn’t come close to emphasizing the mayhem that ensues, but trust me when I say that it is bonkers! On the surface, this is your average friend reunion movie where something goes wrong, tensions rise, and the consequences play out drastically. But that is a serious understatement considering the themes. From social media obsession to the facades people put on to get their way, It’s What’s Inside dissects humans at their worst and best.

Jardin’s Direction Of It’s What’s Inside Is Confident & Fearless

To emphasize just how crazy Jardin’s debut is, it’s important to share and celebrate his creative and fearless directorial choices. To put it plainly, his direction is psychologically dizzying, and I mean that as the greatest of compliments. As thrilling as the plot is, the direction matches it perfectly, which highlights the genre-blending and stylistic framing. To capture the human psyche under such complex circumstances is no easy feat. And though the script stretches into overly ambitious territory, it never crosses the line and instead welcomes you back for multiple viewings to catch the hints you might have missed.

As ambitious or complicated as the script may get, the film is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, entertaining the idea of horror tropes but structuring the story with clever twists and thrills that defy the genre. The film asks the ultimate question, “Is it possible to truly know someone?” in innovative, hilarious, and thought-provoking ways. None of this would have been possible without the extremely convincing performances of the cast. Seriously, they deserve all the accolades for the challenges that come with conveying their characters, so much so that it’s often difficult to wrap your head around what they’re actually doing.

A mind-bending feature one could easily become obsessed over, It’s What’s Inside is sure to find its cult fan base very quickly. With intensely dizzying direction from Jardin and a script that masks its trickery behind pure entertainment, don’t be surprised if you find yourself begging for multiple viewings. The members of the cast sell their performances with exceptional precision and guile, which is sure to be the talk of the festival circuit this year. Do yourself a favor and add this to the top of your watch-list and don’t let anyone spoil it for you.

It’s What’s Inside is now streaming on Netflix. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It’s 103 minutes long and rated R for pervasive language, sexual content, drug use and some violent content.