First Trailer for iPhone-Shot Thriller Film 'Unsane' Released

The trailer has arrived for Steven Soderbergh’s new film. Starring Claire Foy, the thriller was shot entirely using iPhones. Review the footage here.

The film, entitled “Unsane,” is due to debut in cinemas on March 23. With Foy (previously of “The Crown”) playing the lead, it follows the story of her character who leaves town in order to escape a stalker. However, she finds herself committed to a mental institution against her will.

The plot also echoes many a current social media movement: Woman cries for help alleging a man is harassing her, only to be considered crazy and gets silenced. The plot has potential to echo the realities of what is currently happening in the film industry.

“There’s a philosophical obstacle a lot of people have about the size of the capture device. I don’t have that problem,” Soderbergh told Indiewire about the iPhone-shot project. “I look at this as potentially one of the most liberating experiences that I’ve ever had as a filmmaker, and that I continue having. The gets that I felt moment to moment were so significant that this is, to me, a new chapter.”

What do you think of the footage? Some scenes are genuinely impressive with a real cinematic feel, while in others, it seems obvious that a phone has been used. It runs the risk of potentially distracting from the suspense since it can feel like we’re watching a video on a friend’s phone. Several clips appear grainy, and not in a romantic, analogue sense. Could it just be because we’re aware of it, though? Would we be able to tell this was shot on iPhone had it not been announced first? Soderbergh seems to think not, adding: “Anybody going to see this movie who has no idea of the backstory to the production will have no idea this was shot on the phone.” Regardless, the grain and grittiness do create an aesthetic that complements the plot.

Check out the video above and judge for yourself.