Greg Jardin’s Dark Comedy Horror ‘It’s What’s Inside’ Now Streaming on Netflix

The debut feature from writer-director Greg Jardin, “It’s What’s Inside,” has sparked considerable attention since its high-profile premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film, a blend of body-swapping intrigue and horror-comedy, was snatched up by streaming giant Netflix for an impressive $17 million, following an intense bidding war.

Greg Jardin shared insights about his first Sundance experience, expressing his surprise at the overwhelming response. “It’s still surreal now,” Jardin remarked. “We made the movie in a bit of a bubble, $2.5 million independent, just with hopes that someone would buy it at a festival.” The filmmaker initially pitched his project as a merger of “The Big Chill,” “Freaky Friday,” and “Black Mirror.”

“It’s What’s Inside” features a group of college friends who decide to swap bodies using a mysterious device during a mansion party. The seemingly fun experiment soon spirals into chaos, unraveling secrets and creating disastrous outcomes. The narrative takes a darker turn when two characters, Reuben and Brooke, die after a body-swapped mishap, leaving the remaining friends in a complex moral predicament.

Jardin and producer Jason Baum began shaping the concept of the film eight years ago. Baum, reflecting on the journey, said, “The initial script was very robust, and I advised Greg to simplify it for his first feature.” Jardin accepted this advice and returned with a streamlined narrative focusing on the dynamics of eight people at a party, using a suitcase containing a sci-fi element.

Maintaining clarity amidst the complex body-swapping storyline was crucial for Jardin, who employed visual storytelling techniques such as split screen and strategic lighting. This approach helped ensure audiences could track the character switches without losing the narrative thread.

Producer William Rosenfeld was instrumental in the film’s completion, drawn to the unique storyline and Jardin’s vision. Jardin, who also edited the film and managed aspects of the visual effects and sound, was supported extensively by Rosenfeld and Baum throughout the lengthy production process.

The ending of “It’s What’s Inside” was particularly significant, evolving to provide the character Shelby with greater agency. Jardin explained, “Originally, the ending was darker, but after working with the cast and hearing the music cues, it seemed more fitting for Shelby to reclaim her body and achieve a personal victory.”

With “It’s What’s Inside” available on Netflix, Jardin is already contemplating his next project, a dramatic thriller, but remains open to continuing the story of his debut film with a potential sequel. Despite the success, Jardin candidly shared insights into the business aspect of filmmaking, noting the financial misconceptions often associated with such sales figures. “People were texting me, ‘Oh, I guess next dinner’s on you!’ I was very naive about how sales worked,” Jardin said, describing his newfound understanding of Hollywood business mechanics.