The content that has become available through the paid streaming subscription service YouTube Red has kicked into high gear in 2016, with original movies and TV shows flooding the platform. The latest of these – The Thinning – is released on the service next week, and a new trailer has now premiered in advance of the film’s debut.
Written and directed by Michael J. Gallagher (Interns), and co-written by Steve Greene (Puppet Cop), this science-fiction horror film focuses on a version of the future in which authorities are taking drastic action as part of an effort to manage population control. Eligibility for continued survival is determined by the administration of a High School aptitude test – and those that fail are disposed of. Evidently, there is something of a student revolt as teenagers attempt to take on the system and save their own lives.
As with most content on YouTube Red, The Thinning stars popular YouTube personalities – in this case, Logan Paul, Peyton List, and Lia Marie Johnson. They are joined by Calum Worthy, Matthew Glave and Michael Traynor. The trailer indicates a palpable sense of tension and drama, though there also seem to be a number of potential plot-holes, and some incredibly earnest performances on display. The proof will be in the finished product, however, which will be available to YouTube Red members on October 12th, 2016.