Steven Soderbergh's Most Unusual Movie Is This Thriller Shot Entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus

Steven Soderbergh is a director who has never been afraid to experiment. His filmography is strikingly diverse, ranging from the Oscar-winning Traffic to Contagion, and the series The Knick.

Perhaps the most unusual project of his career, however, is the psychological thriller Unsane – it was shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus in just one week.

What Is 'Unsane' About?

The plot centers on Sawyer, a successful and seemingly self-assured young woman. She moves to a new city to start a new life, but soon finds herself being stalked by a strange man who seems to be following her everywhere she goes.

Despairing and seeing no other way out, Sawyer turns to a psychiatric clinic for a consultation, but unexpectedly finds herself practically a prisoner.

Doctors diagnose her with paranoia, forcibly confine her to a ward, and administer psychotropic drugs. Sawyer becomes confused about where reality ends and her hallucinations begin.

In 'Unsane', the iPhone Outperforms a Professional Camera

Soderbergh chose to shoot on an iPhone 7 Plus for artistic and practical reasons. The lack of a bulky camera allowed the director to work more actively with the environment, position the lens in places he couldn't with professional equipment, and get closer to the actors than ever before.

The smartphone's blurry, unfocused image is ideal for creating a specific frame: the characters seem much closer than usual, and the image itself feels simultaneously familiar and slightly off – a perfect fit for a story about mental illness and paranoia.

This specific visual language fosters a subconscious "recognition" of the image, consequently creating a deeper immersion into the action. Unsane was shot in a matter of days, preserving an energy and spontaneity rarely found in studio projects.

'Unsane' Is a Tense Thriller With a Brilliant Performance From Claire Foy

The success of Unsane rests on the shoulders of Claire Foy, who delivers one of the most powerful performances of her career – viewers familiar with her roles in The Crown and First Man will see her in a completely new light.

She plays Sawyer as a fragile yet fiercely determined woman whose gradual transformation from confident woman to cornered beast is captivating and terrifying. Foy plays both the victim and the potential madwoman with equal conviction, constantly challenging viewers.

The movie also offers a sharp social satire of the American healthcare system, particularly private psychiatric hospitals, which prioritize profit over patient care.

Unsane is a bold, tense, and effective thriller that proves great cinema doesn't require a million-dollar budget or cumbersome equipment.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Unsane'?

• Unsane has 80% from critics and 59% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.4/10.

• On Letterboxd, Unsane scored 3.3/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Unsane'?

Unsane is available to stream on Kanopy.