The dizzyingly entertaining thriller “It’s What’s Inside” debuted on Netflix last week, a head-spinning body-swap romp directed by Greg Jardin that features an appealing cast of newcomers working through their long-term friendships through a party game that results in a collective identity crisis. Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, “It’s What’s Inside” is now available to stream on Netflix.
Starring Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, David Thompson and Madison Davenport, “It’s What’s Inside,” the debut feature of writer/director Jardin (who also edited the film), is a thoroughly modern one-setting mystery about a game night that goes sideways the night before the wedding of Reuben (Terrell) when he gets his college pals together for a reunion.
It’s a lightning-fast and highly stylized project that requires a whiplash-inducing set of skills from the talented young cast, but it’s also a film that speaks to other familiar favorites from the past. So after you check out “It’s What’s Inside,” revisit this other films about games and game nights that take unexpected turns.
With it’s single setting and ensemble cast, “It’s What’s Inside” calls to mind “Clue” (1985), the cult comedy based on the iconic board game. Starring Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp, this murder mystery from Jonathan Lynn concerns a party where the host turns up dead and the guests have to work with the staff to find the murderer. Colonel Mustard in the dining room with a candlestick? Stream it on Paramount+ or rent it elsewhere.
