It’s What’s Inside

Directed by Greg Jardin, It’s What’s Inside details the chaos that ensues after a group of friends, including Brittany O’Grady’s Shelby, James Morosini’s Cyrus, and Alycia Debnam-Carey’s Nikki, reunite for a wedding and subsequently decide to play a mind-bending game. Filmmaker Jardin, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a thoroughly stylish endeavor that captures the viewer’s interest and attention right from the get-go, as the picture boasts a blisteringly-paced opening stretch that effectively establishes the various characters and the situation in which they find themselves – with the compelling atmosphere heightened by the initial reveal (and explanation) of the aforementioned game. It’s equally clear, however, that It’s What’s Inside‘s proliferation of characters paves the way for a midsection wherein the viewer struggles to keep track of who’s who, and while the sci-fi-oriented nature of the movie’s mysterious premise does result in several engrossing stretches (particularly as the cast list is winnowed down), the picture builds towards a fairly unsatisfying coda that raises more questions than it answers (and also features a baffling turn towards the sinister by one of the protagonists) – which does, in the end, cement the film’s place as an entertaining (albeit relentlessly erratic) piece of work that bodes well for Jardin’s future efforts behind the camera.

**1/2 out of ****