Films like Maniac and Hardcore Henry have been shot entirely in first-person perspective to really grab their audience, dragging them in with this memorable effect. STXsurreal is taking this innovation a step further with The Limit, a 20-minute short film that uses VR to engage the audience on a more personal – and inescapable – level.
Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, From Dusk Til Dawn, Machete, Planet Terror), and co-written by his son Racer Max Rodriguez, The Limit stars heavy-hitters Michelle Rodriguez and Norman Reedus. Despite the film’s brisk 20-minute running time, it’s said to be packed to the brim with all the explosive action madness that audiences have come to expect from the Grindhouse director.
In the film, Rodriguez stars as an “enhanced super-assassin” who has been enlisted to help the viewer (a rogue agent with “a mysterious past”) to recover your identity and attack the evil organization that created you.
As noted by Variety, the film is currently available for mobile headsets including Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Go as well as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. It will also be released for Android phones with cardboard viewers, and we can expect to see versions for iOS, PlayStation VR and Windows Mixed Reality in the near future.
At launch, the film is being sold for $5 on most platforms, $4 for the cardboard version. But, if you’re on the fence (and price-conscious), it’s probably better to act now as prices are expected to go up to $10 and $8, respectively.
Viewers can access an immersive 3-D version, or if you want to dial back the realism just a touch, there is a 2-D cut with high resolution available. For a more in-depth look (from a different angle), you can also get the directors commentary and some behind-the-scenes footage.
Curious? Check out the trailer below!
