‘It’s What’s Inside’ Review: A (Suit)Case of Existentialism | SXSW 2024

It has to be assumed that when Kim Kardashian famously said, “no one wants to get up and work anymore,” she was referring to a lack of exciting, mind-bending cinema being distributed in the streaming age. Director Greg Jardin, apparently finding Kardashian to be an oracle of sorts, heard this plea and crafted a response: It’s What’s Inside. Jardin makes the jump from shorts to features to tell an intricate story of existentialism and personal understanding of those around us. Originally premiering at Sundance before being picked up by Netflix for a cool $17M, It’s What’s Inside is an amusing and complex ride that begs for your attention but can’t quite find its destination by the end. 

There are so many surprises in It’s What’s Inside that it can keep your head buzzing, but the film’s twists are one of its biggest assets, second only to the performances that craft distinct characters and the exact personality quirks that make them. Cyrus (James Morosini) convinces longtime girlfriend Shelby (Brittany O’Grady) to attend a small gathering of old friends to celebrate the upcoming wedding of a member of the group, Reuben (Devon Terrell). Each coming with their own set of baggage and secret resentments that run too deep to ever be said out loud, the film immediately promises a raucous time upon their arrival. A group of millennials riddled with anxieties coming together to drink and party is quickly becoming a packed genre that includes hits like 2022’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, a film that garnered attention for its specificity to millennials’ growing existentialism. Everything is going smoothly and calmly until another old friend, Forbes (David Thompson), who the group hasn’t seen since a mysterious event isolated him, appears with a suitcase. 

Everyone is surprised to see Forbes, and an immediate tension is created by his arrival. The group seems unsure of how to approach him, but it dissolves when Forbes brings out the suitcase. The contents of the suitcase, not able to be revealed without taking away from the experience of the film, unravel the laid-out expectations for what’s to come. What ensues after the suitcase is opened is some of the most fun that storytelling can provide audiences with, a finely calibrated chaos of a night that could radicalize the empathy of each person at the party. Drenched in party lights and laced with madness, It’s What’s Inside begins its excavation into the secrets that take root and bloom into profound insecurities. The film sees its characters as millennials who perhaps still can’t figure out their way in the world, turning to each other in a time of misunderstanding before realizing that these answers might not be found. The humor that surrounds this is relatable and gets more specific as the film charges on, each person revealing themselves further as the night goes on. 

The film wouldn’t work without a steady hand from Greg Jardin, who keeps the story digestible even when it becomes hilariously convoluted, never steering away from the intention and keeping course on his vision. The film is tightly wound for most of its runtime, but the end begins fraying the story a bit as it piles on a couple of last-minute twists. Even with this in mind, the performances still manage to cultivate an earnest interest in the situation and how these friends have treated each other, the bonds that have dissipated, and how they’ll possibly be able to move on after a night like this. Each actor has multiple facets to the character they’re playing, and the need for specificity is perhaps more important than any other aspect of the film. Brittany O’Grady embodying Shelby’s descent into paranoia amongst the misunderstandings is a standout in the film, right behind David Thompson’s creepy performance as the enigmatic Forbes. Jardin’s script fully realizes each person’s personality to an unmatchable degree and provides audiences with an easy understanding of their motivations walking into the festivities. A lesser film might not have the structure to allow the characters to flourish enough to possess the individuality a story like this needs, but It’s What’s Inside finds its greatest strength when it digs into the past to accentuate these various personalities. 

It’s fascinating to watch a group of old friends attempt a night together, especially when truths are revealed over the course of the evening and threaten to destroy some of the closest relationships in their lives. It’s What’s Inside takes this plot and sails away with it, demolishing any expectations of simplicity one might walk into the film and providing a fresh cinematic experience that’s originality sets it apart from most of its straight-to-streaming siblings. It’s a tale of the past that and how lived experience can create a coldness within, a story so relatable in its telling of friendship and resentments that all audiences will find themselves gravitating to one of the friends. Each person on screen will strike everyone differently, the beauty of the film being that each character in attendance has their own version of things that make them feel misunderstood, a hallmark of being alive. While the end of the story doesn’t end with as much steam as the beginning, it still neatly concludes one of the most exciting narratives of the year.

Grade: B+

This review is from the 2024 SXSW Film Festival. Netflix will release It’s What’s Inside at a later date.