Profile Trailer: Searching Movie Format Screenlife Returns in New Thriller

Focus Features has debuted the official trailer for Profile, the new “Screenlife” movie from filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov. Like previous releases Searching and Unfriended, the film shows the entire drama of the narrative come to life across various computer screens and this time ups the ante in huge ways. The description for the film says that it “follows an undercover British journalist in her quest to bait and expose a terrorist recruiter through social media, while trying not to be sucked in by her recruiter and lured into becoming a militant extremist herself.” Profile debuts in theaters May 14, check out the trailer below!

Bekmambetov’s previous credits include movies like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Wanted, but he has been a champion of the “Screenlife” format for many years. He began his work in the format by producing 2015’s Unfriended, following that with 2018’s Unfriended: Dark Web and the John Cho starring Searching. All of the films were produced on small budgets and ended up reaping the benefit of that with major box office hauls. Searching alone was produced for less than $1 million and went on to gross over $75 million at the global box office.

The success of these movies prompted a huge expansion plan by Bekmambetov who told The LA Times back in 2018 that plans were underway for 14 other films in the format with Profile being the first to arrive.

“I don’t know if it’s bad or good, but I feel that half of my life — the most important events of my life — are happening on screen today,” Bekmambetov told the outlet. “I’m finding friends, losing friends, falling in love, losing people I love, making projects, collaborating and fighting and arguing. Overall what Screenlife gives you is it puts you inside the character. You are inside your hero — not only visually but emotionally because you’re making mistakes, you’re deleting and changing your mind.”

At the time Bekmambetov said that “any genre” could be turned into a screenlife movie, including the likes of comedies and rom-coms, but so far only thrillers and horror movies have been released.

Profile marks a big change for Bekmambetov however who stepped into the director’s chair for this film, co-writing the movie with Britt Poulton and Olga Kharina. The film stars Valene Kane and Shazad Latif.

Are you interested in seeing more Screenlife movies like Profile? Sound off in the comments below and let us know yours thoughts.