As the great streaming glut of 2020 threatened to drown audiences in content—Disney+, HBO Max, AppleTV+ Peacock, etc.— in the confusion of it all (and untimely pandemic), viewers were content to skip the new microcontent mobile app and streaming service, Quibi. In the March chaos of COVID-19 (soon before the service launched), Quibi failed to answer basic questions about themselves and their model: are people willing to watch TV series primarily on their mobile devices? Can a company invest $1 billion on talent and new technology and automatically become a player in an overcrowded streaming market? And what the hell is a “Quibi” anyway? So, it’s a shame Quibi didn’t have the “THIS! This is a goddamn Quibi!” proof of content explainer that is the innovative and thrilling “Wireless,” from executive producer Steven Soderbergh.
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Fully integrated into the intuitive portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) orientation of how we use phones, utilizing new innovative technology to make the switch to either frame while you watch (choose your own viewing orientation style), “Wireless,” is the first piece of “quick bite” content that not only entertains on a basic level but also sharply demonstrates the potential of short-form, mobile-first viewing thanks to the use of groundbreaking technology.
And Quibi owes this success to three folks— actor Tye Sheridan, director Zach Wechter, and Soderbergh (a filmmaker that has never shied away from using technology to advance storytelling; see the iPad app narrative “Mosaic,” but also a career of trailblazing digital experimentation). This is the team that has finally cracked the Quibi code and it must be seen and experienced to believe.
Narratively, “Wireless” is deceptively simple, but effective, a claustrophobic, single-location thriller series that won’t shatter the mold of episodic storytelling but engrosses and thrills regardless because of how the technology and format are so crucial to the storytelling (plus some fun curveballs in the story). Recently dumped by his girlfriend and heartsick, Andy (Sheridan) is a college student who aims to win her affections back by driving through a snowstorm to a party where she will be in attendance. Along the way, playing on his phone too much while driving—which adds to the tension—he becomes distracted and careens into a ditch, finding himself stuck and stranded, help miles and miles away. Thankfully, Andy has his phone, which serves as his only lifeline as the temperatures drop, and his chances of survival trickle down like the battery meter that stares him in the face.
On the surface, it’s like “Cellular” meets “Buried,” and a plot we’ve seen before. But with the help of Wechter and Soderbergh’s creatively ingenious use of this technology—which compels you to move to a vertical orientation when you want to see Andy’s subjective view of his phone, texts, Instagram scrolls, Facetime calls, etc.— the “Wireless” tech not only adds to the drama but immerses and engages the viewer in a way that has truly never been done before.
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“Wireless” coerces you to play along with the orientation. An iMessage bing on Andy’s phone, prompts you to switch to vertical, to read his texts and his responses, and this dynamic back and forth interplay is truly exhilarating and absorbingly interactive in a way we rarely see with narrative. At the same time, there’s a choose-your-own-adventure aspect to the visuals. You can flip to vertical when Andy gets a Tinder message from the subjective point of view, but you can also choose to go back to the horizontal objective view and watch Andy’s face as the pressure grows from the twists and turns of the slippery narrative.
Do you want to watch Tye Sheridan act his heart out in a freezing snowstorm as he sits in his Ford Bronco or lying to his mom (Andie McDowell) in ways that make the quicksand of his own making even worse? Watch the show in landscape mode. But a whole new world opens up as your smartphone instantly mirrors Andy’s phone habits, ping-ponging from Insta Stories, Tinder, text, personal photos, and more. This deep level of immersion is the standout killer feature of the series, and honestly is probably the direction all Quibi shows should adopt if they truly want to stand out. “Wireless” feels like the future of Quibi, it’s that good, and again, the show they should have launched with (very likely the technology and show wasn’t ready yet)
“Wireless” also works on another level. There’s the suffocating thriller, but also the literal and figurative notion of just how addicted and entwined to our devices we are. Andy’s phone is what got him into this mess, but it’s also his only lifeline. Moreover, “Wireless” deftly taps into the way we get so deeply emotionally engaged with our phones in a very real way. Whether its Andy pleading with best friend over a real-time Facetime chat to drive in the snowstorm to rescue him, the heartbroken eyes of a boy scrolling through his exes photos, or the sad reality of a guy swiping through a dating app, trying to decide whether she’s right to hook up with or not while nearly swerving off the road. And when all hope is seemingly lost and Andy makes an incredibly emotional plea using the camera app on his smartphone, it’s as if you are on the verge of death, resigned to the fact that you are helpless, alone, and desperately tethered to your phone.
Innovation is great, but “Wireless” doesn’t work without a stirring performance like Sheridan’s, who carries the entire thing on his back. “Wireless” is so well-crafted that the anxiety of taking your eye off of Sheridan to go first-person into the world of his smartphone is palpable. If there’s one drawback, it’s that the subjective phone perspective—checking Google Maps, etc.—takes you away from Sheridan’s face, and layered reactions that belie the dark secret he is keeping. You’ll either want to rewatch or keep flipping perspectives to get the true depth of his performance.
Ultimately, “Wireless” is the first series from Quibi that not only demands your attention— thanks to the well-crafted story and acting— but demonstrates what the streaming platform is actually capable of, when used properly. “Wireless” is the type of experience that isn’t available on Netflix or Hulu, not on YouTube or TikTok. This is Quibi. Sheridan, Wechter, and Soderbergh have laid out the blueprint for future creators to build from. Hopefully, people take notice. [B+]
“Wireless” is available on Quibi now.