KIMI Trailer: Steven Soderbergh Delivers A Thriller Starring Zoe Kravitz

Since coming out of his "retirement" from making films in 2017, Steven Soderbergh has directed a half dozen movies and a TV series. He's also been quick to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape and sent his last four films direct to streaming — starting with "High Flying Bird" and "The Laundromat" (which debuted as Netflix Originals) and continuing on with "Let Them All Talk" and "No Sudden Move" (which bowed as HBO Max exclusives). His latest directorial effort, "KIMI," is also premiering on HBO Max and has received a trailer just a month ahead of its debut on the platform.

A blue-haired Zoë Kravitz stars in "KIMI" as Angela Childs, a Seattle-based, agoraphobic voice stream interpreter who overhears what she believes is a murder on a recording she was examining and, as you would expect, immediately informs her colleagues of her discovery. But when those around seem oddly disinclined to reach out to the authorities about what she uncovered, Angela finds herself at the center of what could be a larger conspiracy.

The "KIMI" trailer has shades of 2018's "Unsane," which makes sense as that was also a movie directed by Soderbergh about a woman who stumbles upon a situation that exposes a greater societal failing, only to find herself undermined by those around her constantly questioning her sanity. Its premise also recalls "The Conversation" and "Rear Window" (just as Soderbergh said it would months ago) as well as lean, mean thrillers like "Panic Room" and "Premium Rush," both of which were tellingly penned by "KIMI" scribe David Koepp. Throw in the weirdly ominous, Alexa/Siri-inspired voice-activated digital assistant and Kravitz running around in a Covid mask for much of the film, and you have a movie that seems keen to tap into just about every relevant fear that one could have while being alive in 2022.

Truthfully, this promo doesn't do a lot for me on its own, but the trailers for Soderbergh's films rarely (if ever) do. His movies always have a lot more on their mind than you can get across in a two-minute preview, and his stylistic choices (which, in "KIMI," look to include lots of unsteady handheld tracking shots that pull you deeper into Angela's headspace) are usually far more effective when they're not chopped up. Moreover, as someone who's eagerly embraced new tech when it comes to getting his films made, I trust that Soderbergh has something deeper and more thoughtful to say about giant corporations invading our privacy with listening devices than any trailer could suggest.

"KIMI" begins streaming on HBO Max on February 10, 2022.