Smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives, and through them, filmmakers have found innovative ways to harness their power for cinematic storytelling. While the quality of smartphone filmmaking is obviously not the same as professional gadgets, some directors have managed to provide viewers with intriguing takes on how the Apple device can be used to express creativity and make for a fun time.
While films shot on the device are inherently more challenging to execute properly due to the lack of professional tools, some have managed to stand out nonetheless. Whether it comes to movies partially or totally captured on the Apple gadget, we explore some of the best films shot on iPhones, ranking them by creativity, innovation, and overall quality.
12
‘Detour’ (2017)
Directed by Michael Gondry
Directed by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’s filmmaker, Detour is a great showcase of how much magic you can pack into a phone camera. The 11-minute short film, made for Apple and shot entirely on an iPhone 7, follows the adorably epic journey of a little girl’s lost tricycle as it tries to make its way back to her through the French countryside.
Gondry puts his whimsy on show once again in this 2017 feature, bringing, to every frame, his signature directing. He uses every trick in the iPhone’s playbook, whether that is time-lapses and slow-mo, or stop-motion. At its core, this cute film is a great example of how to make the most of limited tech and boundless imagination; it feels both handmade and high-tech, reminding audiences that great storytelling surpasses a big budget.
11
‘Uneasy Lies the Mind’ (2014)
Directed by Ricky Fosheim
Shot entirely on iPhone, Uneasy Lies the Mind explores themes of mental instability, guilt, and psychological tension. Directed by Ricky Fosheim and starring Jonas Fisch in the lead role, this dramatic thriller depicts a man’s mental health descent during a couple’s retreat to an isolated winter mansion.
Uneasy Lies the Mind was shot on an iPhone 5s, leaving its mark on a growing trend of filmmakers experimenting with smartphone cameras. Despite the phone’s small sensor and reduced depth, cinematographer Niels Alpert does a great job in the visual storytelling department, using close-up shots to heighten the psychological tension. Although arguably not a masterpiece, Fosheim’s movie is still entertaining and will probably appeal to fans of psychological thrillers with its engaging plot.
10
‘High Flying Bird’ (2019)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Shot entirely on the iPhone 8, Steven Soderbergh‘s sports drama movie, High Flying Bird, tells the story of a sports agent who pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business proposition. He must pull off a plan in 72 hours. André Holland, Zazie Beetz, and Zachary Quinto are some of the faces in its cast.
Soderbergh has been one of the pioneers when it comes to experimenting with digital filmmaking on iPhones, and High Flying Bird highlights this once more. Despite being shot on a phone, High Flying Bird features an intriguing visual style with a modern feel that complements the movie’s fast-paced storytelling. It is an important entry in the genre because it proves that iPhone-shot films can look polished and cinematic, too.
High Flying Bird
- Release Date
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January 27, 2019
- Runtime
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90 minutes
- Director
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Steven Soderbergh
- Writers
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Tarell Alvin McCraney
9
‘9 Rides’ (2016)
Directed by Matthew A. Cherry
Written and directed by Matthew A. Cherry, 9 Rides sees an Uber driver getting life-changing news on the busiest night of the year. Despite its mixed reviews, 9 Rides features innovative use of technology and an intriguing narrative, even if it falls short in other aspects, such as its pacing.
Known for being entirely shot on the Beastgrip Pro and iPhone 6s in 4K, 9 Rides is a great testament to unique concepts, showcasing the potential of smartphones for indie cinema directors working on a budget. Despite being filmed on a small device, 9 Rides is still a well-crafted movie that showcases how iPhones can capture compelling storylines.
9 Rides
- Release Date
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March 11, 2016
- Runtime
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82 minutes
-
-
Omar J. Dorsey
Uber Pool Man
-
-
Xosha Roquemore
Hipster Woman
8
‘160 Characters’ (2015)
Directed by Victoria Mapplebeck
At only 11 minutes long, this compelling documentary tells the story of a 3-year relationship through text messages on an old Nokia phone, raising questions about how we communicate in this increasingly electronic and technological world. In addition to its original premise, Mapplebeck‘s short film innovates by pushing filmmaking boundaries.
Through her use of the iPhone as the main filmmaking tool, Victoria Mapplebeck enhances the narrative’s personal and introspective tone, resulting in an intimate documentary that resonates with viewers. In 160 Characters, the iPhone’s role goes beyond a filming device and takes on a role that is pivotal to the movie’s narrative, which tackles themes of communication, memory, love, and relationships. The filmmaker received an RIFA Innovation Award nomination for her efforts.
7
‘Unsane’ (2018)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Another Steven Soderbergh film worth mentioning is Unsane — a great pick for fans of psychological horror who would like to experience the genre through the lens of a smartphone. The 2018 film, starring The Crown’s Claire Foy, sees a young woman involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear. The question is whether it is real or a product of her delusion.
Before his High Flying Bird, Soderbergh was already bringing innovativeness to the film industry; Unsane was his first iPhone-filmed movie, and it received fairly good reviews, whether that was for how the iPhone’s aesthetics added to the story, or Foy’s amazing performance. Like 160 Characters, Unsane benefits from iPhone filmmaking in a broader way, as it helped capture the movie’s themes of paranoia and confinement.
Unsane
- Release Date
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March 23, 2018
- Director
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Steven Soderbergh
- Writers
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James Greer, Jonathan Bernstein
6
‘Sleep Has Her House’ (2017)
Directed by Scott Barley
Directed by Scott Barley, Sleep Has Her House blends drama, horror, and mystery as it delivers an abstract narrative mostly focusing on atmosphere rather than traditional storytelling. Featuring captivating surrealist elements, Barley’s movie captures the natural world, including forests, mountains, rivers, and beautiful skies.
Sleep Has Her House is probably unlike anything audiences have ever witnessed — it sees the environment itself becoming the main character while fully immersing viewers in its images. While it can feel a bit overly abstract or even alienating at times (depending on who is watching it), this thoughtful meditation is, at its best, a mesmerizing meditative experience that blurs the line between cinema and art. Furthermore, it was also budget-friendly (shot on an iPhone 6), proving that good cinema does not need expensive gadgets.
Sleep Has Her House
- Release Date
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January 1, 2017
- Runtime
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90 minutes
- Director
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Scott Barley
- Writers
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Scott Barley
5
‘Night Fishing’ (2011)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Some cinephiles will probably be surprised to find out that the visionary director Park Chan-wook has shot a short film entirely on an iPhone 4. Night Fishing is a 30-minute South Korean production that throws fantasy, horror, and folklore into the mix as it follows a man who goes night fishing by a river, only to reel in something far more terrifying than a trout.
With its dream-like atmosphere that unfolds like a cryptic dream, Night Fishing proves that budget cinema does not have to be small; the film is packed with emotion, intensity, and memorable cinematography. As such, it’s not surprising that it won the Golden Bear for the Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
4
’28 Years Later’ (2025)
Directed by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland
For dystopian sci-fi epic enjoyers, Danny Boyle‘s 28 Days Later, starring none other than the incredibly talented, Academy Award-winning Cillian Murphy, is a must-see. The upcoming, long-awaited sequel to the cult classic will hit theaters on June 20, 2025.
One of the most exciting things about Danny Boyle and Alex Garland‘s movie is that it was reportedly entirely shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max this summer. Understandably, fans of the first installment can’t wait to finally see the result, especially after its exciting trailer was released. It is naturally a bit too soon to say whether the 2025 feature will be a great one (hence its ranking on this list). However, there is no doubt that it is set up to be one of the most thrilling post-apocalyptic films of recent times.
3
‘Tangerine’ (2015)
Directed by Sean Baker
Shot entirely with three iPhone 5s cameras using the FiLMIC Pro App, the comedy crime drama Tangerine follows a transgender sex worker (Mya Taylor) who tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the PIMP who broke her heart.
From the mind of Anora filmmaker Sean Baker, the LGBTQ+ essential film is one of the most well-known and acclaimed movies shot on an Apple device. Featuring an impressive 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, this groundbreaking indie film garnered critical praise after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, with audiences — both critics and cinephiles alike — highlighting how the filmmaker utilized the iPhone to capture the gritty streets of Los Angeles, which ultimately gave the movie a gritty and authentic feel.
Tangerine
- Release Date
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July 10, 2015
- Runtime
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87 Minutes
- Director
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Sean Baker
- Writers
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Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch