This weekend, Netflix releasedone of its best movies yet.
You probably also will have a lot of questions about it.
And thats where we come in.
Behind the scenes of Netflix’s new thriller It’s What’s Inside.Image: Netflix
Its all below and well put a warning before the spoilers.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Were they told to be a little more heightened or archetypal?
It’s What’s Inside– Netflix
So they almost have to be archetypes.
But then theres that gray area of you dont want them to be so stereotypical.
So we worked on that a lot during the rehearsal week.
Greg Jardin with actor Gavin Leatherwood – Netflix
So I tried to incorporate that advice into the film.
But it was really just working with the actors, finding their isms.
That was not in the script.
Gavin [Leatherwood] just kept saying Bro.
I was like, Oh my gosh, thats such an easy way to identify who this guy is.
So I took all the Bros out of everyone elses dialogue and then just kind of tripled his Bros.
Jardin on set – Netflix
So a lot of that was through the rehearsal process.
Jardin: Ill be honestthat was tough.
I spent a year editing the film.
Jardin directing – Netflix
So that really evolved over time.
And we had test screenings.
And the test screenings helped dictate what scenes felt slow, what information the audience was missing.
All this exposition about the party, which you kind of realize in totality, you dont really need.
And then that Instagram montage where you meet everyone and then Shelby is scrolling through Nikkis feed.
That was something that really got beefed up as a result of test screenings.
I kind of had this epiphany, like, Oh man, theres this social media montage.
And its a really easy way to get to know characters very quickly.
Jardin:[Laughs.]
The fact that Netflix has this insane global reach is like…
I mean, I havent even honestly wrapped my mind [around it].
I was talking to James [Morosini, who plays Cyrus] about it yesterday.
So the magnitude about that going out is very attractive.
And I havent even fully processed it.
But also, we were very lucky to be in a bidding war at Sundance.
It was a surreal dream come true.
And just the vibe of everyone at Netflix has been so great.
Theyve been so welcoming.
They know I have a background in marketing.
They give me a lot of say in the marketing of this film.
So yeah, theres a lot of advantages.
Note: The rest of the interview is spoilers.
io9: Okay, lets talk spoilers.
Was the reveal of Beatrice being a part of the film as the big final twist always in it?
Jardin:So that general twist was in there from the ideation stages.
Initially, in the first few drafts, it was not his sister.
I was like, Oh, yeah, maybe she can be his sister.
And maybe his sister could be the character that Dennis hooked up with and cheated on Nikki with.
Because that plot point was already in the movie.
So yeah, that was sort of there, but got refined drastically through notes and feedback.
io9: The movie really levels up when two of the characters die.
It really puts everyone in a bad spot.
When did that come into it and were there other iterations?
I came up with the eight-way body swap idea, which I thought was fun.
I wasnt totally in love with it, because I didnt have a great place for it to go.
I knew I wanted it to be about a relationship in crisis.
And I was like, Man, I dont even know what would happen.
So yeah, that made me very excited.
So that germ really kicked everything into full gear.
Jardin:Im so stoked that youre asking that question.
That is the question that I hope people ask.
In this conversation, Im attempting to stay neutral just because I love this discourse.
But I mean, Ill say, look, Shelbys our main character.
Shes our main character for a reason.
But it legitimately warms my heart.
I came out of one of our Sundance screenings, and people were having this debate outside.
And it just thrilled me so much that people were so into it to discuss it.
So thank you for asking.
io9: With Beatrice still out there, do you have ideas for what comes next?
Would you want to explore what comes next?
Or are you good with it like this?
Jardin:It was certainly written to be a closed loop.
People have asked, and Im thrilled that people want more of the world.
I do love the world of the movie.
And if theres another movie in this world, that would be awesome.
There are currently no plans to make a sequel, but thank you for your interest.
Jardin:Good question.
So I ultimately decided to cut it.
But no ones asked that.
Its Whats Insideis streaming on Netflix.Check it out now.
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