Key Takeaways
- 28 Years Later, a highly anticipated zombie film, is the biggest budget film to be shot entirely using iPhones.
- Director Steven Soderbergh has shot a pair of films on iPhone as he looks to make films outside of big studios.
- Tangerine, a low-budget film shot on three iPhone 5S models, debuted at Sundance and earned critical acclaim.
The much anticipated third installment to a most iconic zombie franchise is coming in 2025, as 28 Years Later reunites Danny Boyle with Cillian Murphy in post-apocalyptic England. While there is much excitement around the film, which brings back writer Alex Garland and welcomes actors Ralph Fiennes and Jodie Comer, there was also a recent intriguing revelation about it: the film was shot on an iPhone.
Indeed, 28 Years Later was shot on various iPhone 15 Pro Max smartphones, according to a report by Wired. The revelation makes 28 Years Later the biggest budget film ever to be shot on an iPhone. However, it’s certainly not the first to go small when telling a big-screen story. Here are some other notable movies that were shot on Apple iPhones.
1 High Flying Bird
Steven Soderbergh’s sports drama
Stephen Soderberg is a wildly talented and creative director who has dabbled in a lot of different stories and tones. Despite the varied nature of his movies, which include some big-budget productions, iconic franchises, and intimate mysteries, all his films are incredibly watchable and compelling. That includes his 2019 sports drama High Flying Bird, which the director shot using an iPhone 8.
The film follows a sports agent confronting a personal and professional crisis amid a basketball lockout, and while the story and performances are intriguing, Soderbergh’s filmmaking style is equally impressive. It’s not readily apparent that the movie is being made with a smartphone, but it’s clear while watching that you’re in the steady hands of a savvy filmmaker.
2 Unsane
A talented director’s first foray into smartphone filmmaking
High Flying Bird was in fact Soderberg’s second film to be shot on an iPhone, as the year prior saw the prolific director release his first smartphone-made movie. Across two weeks, Soderberg filmed the psychological thriller Unsane on an iPhone, in his quest to push back against big studio movie-making.
The film stars Claire Foy as a young woman who moves her life in order to rid herself of a stalker, but despite a new location, uncertainly persists. There is definitely a more lo-fi, B-movie feel to this film that’s entirely intentional, as Soderbergh effectively makes the viewer feel the paranoia experienced by the film’s protagonist. Soderbergh plays around with angles, color, and close-ups, demonstrating a lot of creativity and also deft at filming with a smartphone, a feat that most viewers wouldn’t notice if they weren’t told about it beforehand.
3 Tangerine
Masterful, intimate storytelling on a small budget
While some filmmakers use smartphones to make a movie because they can, others do it because they have to. Three iPhone 5S models were used in Sean Baker’s Tangerine, a story that follows a transgender sex worker on an emotional and intimate Christmas Eve. With its small budget and relatively unknown cast and crew, Tangerine debuted at Sundance in 2015, and earned Baker plenty of accolades that would help support him in future filmmaking. Bigger budgets and more awards would follow with films like The Florida Project, Red Rocket, and the 2024 Palm d’Or winner, Anora.
4 And Uneasy Lies the Mind
An intimate descent into madness
There is something about the deeply personal nature of shooting on an iPhone that seems to lend well to paranoid thrillers. Close-ups, curious angles, and claustrophobic settings all make for a film that puts the main character, and the audience, at some unease. That’s quickly felt in And Uneasy Lies the Mind, a story that follows a man’s mental breakdown during a cozy winter escape. The main character is one who seems to have a comfortable, happy life, but life milestones and surprise visitors reveals that he feels very different.
5 9 Rides
9 Rides
- Director
- Matthew A. Cherry
- Starring
- Dorian Missick, Omar J. Dorsey, Amin Joseph
- Releases:
- 03-11-2016
Another common theme with films shot on an iPhone is events taking place in a limited time frame, usually across a weekend or even one evening. This film about an Uber driver and his shift on a meaningful night is filled with metaphors and driven, pun intended, by artful filmmaking. Written and directed by Matthew A. Cherry, and shot on an iPhone 6S across a week in 2015, the film follows one driver as he completes the titular nine trips on New Year’s Eve, listening to and engaging with a range of riders that make a meaningful emotional impact on his life.
6 Night Fishing
Acclaimed Korean writer and director Park Chan-wook boasts an impressive career and varied catalog, from erotic thrillers like The Handmaiden to violent revenge stories like Oldboy. His love for the weird and wild is apparent in Night Fishing, a 2011 short film shot entirely on an iPhone 4, that follows a man who comes across a body that he definitely wishes he never found. This horror fantasy short film is vivid and compelling, and definitely worth a watch for fans of Park, as it brilliantly showcases the creative’s masterfully storytelling ability as well as his penchant for all things uncomfortable and unnerving.
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