The App (2019)

As strange as this may sound, the entertainment industry has a history of producing frightening flicks about phones. Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster thrilled fans so much in the thriller Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), the plot was redone in 1958. By 2002, moviegoers experienced more telephonic chills via Joel Schumacher’s psychological thriller Phone Booth starring Colin Farrell and Gore Verbinski’s The Ring featuring Naomi Watts and Brian Cox. Since then, Park Jin-Pyo released Voice of a Murderer (2007), Matthew Parkhill made The Caller (2011), and Elisa Fuksas directed The App (2019). The latter pic centers around Niccolò (Vincenzo Crea). He’s a promising young actor with money and love on the horizon. Yet when he goes to Rome to shoot a movie, he gets obsessed with a new app on his phone. Since he can’t put it down, Nick finds himself on a self-destructive journey. In other words, his device becomes his vice! Under the direction of Elisa Fuksas (who co-wrote the screenplay with Lucio Pellegrini), this skinternational flick features dialogue in Italian. But when Mr. Crea appears in the buff, there’s no need for translation! In fact, the film begins with a bang since the lusty leading man can be seen having sex with a naked lady (Jessica Cressy) just 25 seconds in. The skintastic act showcases Vincenzo’s bare back in the sack. If that’s not hot enough, he steams up the screen by flashing his ass. Alas, we don’t get to see his peen. But hopefully there’s an app for that!