A group of college friends' reunion party becomes a more surreal adventure when one person finds a mind-bending device inIt’s What’s Inside. The group is composed of Shelby, Cyrus, Reuben, Dennis, Nikki, Brooke and Maya, who come back together at Reuben’s family home to celebrate his upcoming nuptials. Initially planning a night of relaxation and nostalgic reflections on their friendship, the arrival of their estranged group member, Forbes, brings with it a machine that allows them all to swap bodies, which subsequently becomes a dangerous game that leads to long-hidden secrets and biases.
Forbes is brought to life inIt’s What’s Insideby David W. Thompson, who first found success starring in Macon Blair’sBlue Ruinbefore going on to star in everything fromGothamas Scarecrow to fellow Netflix title,Fear Street Part One: 1994. Shelby and Cyrus, the couple centered at the heart of the movie’s story, are brought to life byThe White Lotusalum Brittany O’Grady and James Morosini, thewriter/director/star of the dark comedyI Love My Dad. The eccentric party girl Brooke is brought to life by Reina Hardesty, known for her previous roles inBrockmire,StartUpand the Arrowverse as Weather Witch.
It’s What’s Inside Ending Explained: Who Ends Up In Which Body
Netflix’s It’s What’s Inside has no shortage of twists, leading up to a fast-paced ending that shocks viewers while answering important questions.
Alongside Thompson, Morosini, O’Grady and Hardesty,It’s What’s Inside’s castincludesFear the Walking Dead’s Alycia Debnam-Carey,Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Gavin Leatherwood,The Resort’s Nina Bloomgarden,Barry’s Devon Terrell andSharp Objects' Madison Davenport. Hailing from writer/director Greg Jardin in his feature directorial debut, the movie is a wild and energetic twist on the body swap genre that will keep audiences guessing from start to finish.
In anticipation of the movie’s release,Screen Rantinterviewed Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Reina Hardesty & David Thompson to discussIt’s What’s Inside, how their characters fit into the crazy world of the film, the unique nature of rehearsing and filming to play multiple characters in one, and praising Jardin’s passion for filmmaking.
The Group Loved Playing The Opposite Of Their Base Characters
“…it was fun to be confident and excited and extroverted versus very internal.”
Screen Rant: This movie is fantastic, it is so much fun. First thing is there’s a lot of you guys, tell me about the character you start with, and who was the most fun for you to play and why.
Brittany O’Grady: I played Shelby, and she’s in a relationship with Cyrus, and she’s anxious to go to the party, and her relationship’s on the rocks. I actually had a lot of fun playing Brooke, because Brooke was very opposite from Shelby. So, it was fun to be confident and excited and extroverted versus very internal.
Reina Hardesty: I played Brooke, and Brooke is a very eccentric party girl. She loves to have fun and be loud, and she just wants everybody to have a good time. I think deep down, she’s actually quite sad, and that’s why she’s so out there. [Chuckles] She’s like, “Let’s go,” that whole thing, which is really fun to play. But I really liked playing Nikki, as well, because there’s that — not stoic, but just solid confidence. Her shoulders are back more, and she knows that she’s the s–t, and that was really fun to play.
James Morosini: Yeah, I started out playing Cyrus, Shelby’s boyfriend, and he comes into the story in kind of a very tentative, scared way. He’s very much a people pleaser, wanting to make sure everyone’s happy, but also wants to make sure his own needs are met. He’s very scared, so it was really fun to play Dennis later on in the film, because he’s a lot more uninhibited, and he has a recklessness to him that felt dangerous and just, I think, a lot more freeing to play.
David W. Thompson: Yeah, Forbes has kind of lost touch with this group, and kind of comes back into their lives in a heavy-duty way, and I was excited to make some new memories with everyone and that was a blast. But yeah, I would also agree that playing Dennis, he’s got this bravado about him, or put on kind of this armor, so I think it was fun to inhabit that swagger he’s got. It’s incredible.
It’s What’s Inside’s Two Different Table Reads Were Very Helpful For The Cast
“…I felt like I really got into the zone when we started filming…”
Now, Greg took a really unique approach to filmmaking with this. Correct me if I’m wrong, he did two table reads, one from the perspective of the souls, and the other from the perspective of the bodies. How did that influence your performance with those two table reads?
Brittany O’Grady: I think it helped logistically, we were in the rehearsal process still, so we’re still figuring out each other’s characters. For me, I felt like I really got into the zone when we started filming, but I felt like it was the first taste test of starting the body-swapping process.
Reina Hardesty: I thought it was so nice to just be able to see everyone clearly as their character. It just simplified things. It’s always helpful to see it, hear it off of the page, and to do it in both ways was great.
James Morosini: Yeah, it’s a movie where, throughout the process, we’re kind of asking, “Okay, who’s in whose body?” So, those kind of rehearsal processes helped us get out of our heads and surrender and really know what was going on.
The Cast Came Up With Their Own Method For Matching Each Other’s Mannerisms
“…everyone has this kind of really heightened reaction…”
Where did the idea come from about you guys watching and recording your cast members' performance to help inform your own portrayals? Was that a thing that you guys did too?
David W. Thompson: Yeah, especially for the first time that we swap, everyone has this kind of really heightened reaction, so we just kind of all sat around at this table and recorded each other doing it. And much like with the table read, you’re learning each other’s mannerisms, you’re seeing their perspective, and learning how to drop into them in a more genuine way.
The Cast Learned A Lot From Working With Jardin As A Director
“…he really is a master of his craft.”
I love Greg’s approach to filmmaking. Can you talk about what you learned from Greg working on this film?
James Morosini: I think he really is a master of his craft. He spent so many years just learning VFX and studying VFX, and doing tutorials and whatnot, and you can see how that integrates into the way he moves the camera and the way he works with actors. So, I think just being a consummate filmmaker is something that I was definitely inspired by.
David W. Thompson: And he’s got this passion for it. He’s got a love for the genre, a love for filmmaking, a love for this story. So, I feel like he would just kind of throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. I felt like we had this playful, open energy where you can just kind of try whatever, and there was nothing wrong and no failing. And I think that that was very beneficial.
AboutIt’s What’s Inside
A group of friends gathers for a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that awakens long-hidden secrets, desires, and grudges.
It’s What’s Inside
Cast
It’s What’s Inside is a film centered around a high-stakes narrative involving complex character dynamics that explore internal and external conflicts. Throughout the storyline, characters face personal challenges as they navigate their intertwined fates, providing a gripping view of their struggles and transformations.
