The suspenseful horror film “It’s What’s Inside,” which made its debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, has been secured by Netflix in an impressive $17 million acquisition.
Directed by first-time filmmaker Greg Jardin, the movie unfolds during a pre-wedding celebration that takes a chilling turn into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious suitcase. The cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden, and David Thompson.
Unlike traditional theatrical releases, “It’s What’s Inside” will exclusively premiere on Netflix, with the streaming platform yet to announce the specific release date.
Expressing his excitement about the acquisition, producer William Rosenfeld of Such, the company responsible for financing and overseeing production, stated, “On behalf of the cast, crew, and entire production team, we are absolutely thrilled that ‘It’s What’s Inside’ landed at Netflix. Their commitment to championing bold and groundbreaking filmmakers like Greg Jardin remains unparalleled.”
Variety’s Guy Lodge provided a tantalizing glimpse into the film, noting that it “doesn’t unfold exactly as you’d expect.” In his review, Lodge remarked, “’It’s What’s Inside’ registers as a pretty effective genre calling-card: gleamingly shot and spikily cut, brashly acted by actors accepting of their role as pretty pawns in an elaborate narrative game of strategy.”
Executive produced by Colman Domingo, known for his role in “Rustin,” alongside Ulf Ek and Robert Kapp, the film also credits producers William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum, and Raúl Domingo.
Colman Domingo expressed his pride in the production on Instagram ahead of the film’s Sundance premiere. “We are so very proud that this is another feather in our cap as a production company,” he wrote. “You will never believe that this is [Jardin’s] debut!”
The acquisition of “It’s What’s Inside” marks the second major deal of the festival, following the $10 million acquisition of Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” by Searchlight Pictures. Earlier in the week, Netflix secured the rights to the emotional documentary “Ibelin,” depicting the life of a late Norwegian gamer.
The deal for “It’s What’s Inside” was negotiated by CAA Media Finance, with Deadline breaking the news of the sale.
