in more ways than one, Netflixs upcoming horror comedy movie is starting to look like the perfect one Friday Friday Follow-up I didn’t think I needed. Over the years, movies and shows of many genres have referenced the body swap trope. It seems to make the perfect setup for a comedy-drama that follows the lives of two or more characters who are somehow forced to step into each other’s shoes and experience life from one another’s perspective. While some of the body swap stories in movies, viz Your namewere incredibly well received, others did not leave their mark.
However, of all the movies and shows that adopt the trope, the one film often considered synonymous with it is Freaky Friday. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, the movie played a crucial role in popularizing the trend and highlighting its potential as a comic storytelling device. Due to this, it is not surprising that Freaky Friday is getting a sequel, titled Freakier Friday, over two decades after its release. Although it is still some time before Freaky Friday 2 Save the big screens, Netflix seems to have the perfect addition to the movie sub-genre.
It’s What’s Inside brings a compelling new spin to Freaky Friday’s body swap emphasis
The film expands the scale of the trope
Unlike most body-swap movies, It’s what’s inside Not only goes through the drama that unfolds in two characters’ lives when they switch bodies. Instead, it presents a sci-fi setup where a character introduces a device to a group of college friends, claiming it can help them achieve feats beyond their wildest dreams. When the group agrees to give the device a shot, they are surprised by how it makes them swap their consciousness with one another. However, what starts as a fun experiment soon takes a wild turn when they start turning against each other with their swapped bodies.
Although it is what is inside, it does not promise to be a much-good drama, although the same trope as the Disney movie.
Freaky FridayThe use of the body swapping gimmick is entertaining and heartwarming because of its familiar themes. Despite adopting the same trope as the Disney movie, however, It’s what’s inside Doesn’t promise to be a feel-good drama. instead, It sells itself as a psychological horror film with hints of dark humor. Even its trailer adopts flashy and stylistic visuals that suggest it will use the body swap trope as a vessel to explore darker themes around identity, addiction and jealousy. Its depiction of body-swapping will also be far more puzzling and high-concept than most offerings from the sub-genre.
It’s What’s Inside’s early reviews make it even more exciting
The film has largely positive reviews
Following its Sundance release on January 19, 2024, It’s what’s inside has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 82%With 33 reviews. Some critics have given it negative reviews, stating that the premise is too over-the-top to be remotely believable. Others have also said that the film’s aggressive style doesn’t benefit it because it fails to make up for its lack of depth. However, most critics praised the film for its ability to take a familiar trope and turn it into something completely novel and exciting.
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For example, one critic (Ty Cooper via Hey good) said, “There is no drug on earth that can prepare you for the experience of a film like this.“ScreenRant’s Patrice Witherspoon also gave the film a solid four out of five stars, quote,”A mind-bending horror feature that one can easily become obsessed with, It’s What’s Inside is sure to find its cult fan base very quickly.“With so many critics loving Greg Jardin’s execution of It’s what’s inside‘s unique take on the body-swapping trope, I look forward to seeing the film on Netflix And compare it with Freaky Friday.