Ti West's Horror Short 'Remnants' Lands Free on Apple Vision Pro

Ti West's horror film Remnants is now out, and it is free to watch, but only on one device. Apple released the 27-minute film on October 16 to users of its Vision Pro, the headset that sits over the eyes and places the viewer inside what they are watching, Variety reported.

Apple had made the film public on October 12, saying it would reach Vision Pro that same week. Ahead of the debut, the company also released a teaser video. 9to5Mac described the work as the first immersive horror film on the headset.

The film was made for that format and nothing else. It is shot in 180-degree 3D 8K, which means the picture wraps around the viewer rather than sitting in a frame in front of them. It also uses Spatial Audio, a sound system that makes noises seem to come from specific points in the room.

The story is set in London in 1886. Lucy Boynton plays Eleanor, who is looking over Woldmere Castle, a building that has been abandoned. Ralph Ineson appears as a local man who warns her that the castle is haunted.

Free releases do not bring in ticket money, so the usual box-office scorecard does not apply here. The film does not sit in a cinema, and it does not follow the familiar path of opening weekends and holdover weeks. Its audience is the people who own the headset and choose to press play.

For film fans, the release is a useful look at where Apple is pointing its immersive work. Short films built for a single headset are a different kind of product from a feature that opens in theatres. Who watches them, and how often, will decide how much room this kind of work gets in the months ahead.