Let’s not beat around the bush—Quibi has struggled since its launch this spring. Even with a massive marketing budget and a debut during a time when people were streaming more than ever, the newest online content platform just hasn’t been able to really catch on. But here comes executive producer Steven Soderbergh and his new series, “Wireless,” which takes the Quibi mobile-first format and turns it on its side…literally.
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As seen in the trailer for “Wireless,” the series stars Tye Sheridan as a guy that is venturing into a snowstorm in his vehicle to go to a party to impress a girl. However, as you might suspect from that setup, things don’t go to plan, and the young guy gets trapped in his car, in freezing cold temps, with nothing but his phone to keep him going. But this is just when things get interesting…for the viewer, at least.
You didn’t expect Soderbergh to produce a Quibi show and play it safe, did you? Instead of just watching the series on your phone like you would something on Netflix, YouTube, or Hulu, “Wireless” gives you another option. You can watch it landscape mode, enjoying the widescreen-ness of the series, or you can turn your phone vertically and view the show as if you had control of the main character’s phone, seeing the text messages, Facebook creeping, and video calls as if they’re happening on your phone. This may not be the most original premise for a series ever, but with this added wrinkle, there’s no denying that “Wireless” could be the type of format-busting experience that shows the full potential of Quibi. Lord knows, someone needs to show the potential of Quibi.
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“Wireless” debuts on the streaming platform on September 14. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
On a sparsely traveled road deep in the Colorado mountains, college student Andy Braddock (Tye Sheridan) drives to a New Years Eve party to try to rekindle a relationship with his ex-girlfriend. Distracted by his phone, Andy collides with a snowbank and hurtles into a ravine. Wounded and alone, Andy turns to his quickly dying cell for rescue, but help is far from a phone call away…
