Good or bad, one thing's for sure: Apple TV+ is not afraid to take a risk. Whether that means making an elaborate show about a post-apocalyptic future in which all people are blind (See), or giving Chris Evans the Hot Dad role we all deserve (Defending Jacob). But none of their shows have been as out there as the trailer for Apple TV+'s new show, Calls.
Like all the other Apple TV+ originals, Calls promises a star-studded cast, with appearances by Nick Jonas, Pedro Pascal, Aubrey Plaza, Karen Gillan, Judy Greer, Rosario Dawson, Lily Collins, Mark Duplass, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The twist? You won't actually see them.
In fact, audiences won't be seeing much of anything. The high concept show from Evil Dead director Fede Álvarez will unravel through phone conversations only. There are no images — not even weird lingering re-enactments or nature shots like at karaoke — just computer-generated graphics to go along with the varying conversations.
It's basically what I imagine would happen if a screensaver and a podcast had a baby.
As skeptical as I am about the no-visuals experiment, there's no denying that the Calls trailer is intriguing. What starts as just a series of cryptic conversations become frightened, "the call is coming from inside the house"-type horror movie pleas for help.
Each Calls episode will run about 15-minutes and feature different characters. And, while the showrunner teased that all will connect in the end, each individual episode will also contain a story in itself, so fans will have to pay attention if they want to get the whole story.