Joseph Kosinski and Eric Newman Discuss All Things ‘Spiderhead’

Joseph Kosinski directed the new genre-bending and darkly funny psychological thriller, Spiderhead. The film, which is based on The New Yorker short story by George Saunders, is produced by Eric Newman and now streaming on Netflix.

In a state-of-the-art penitentiary run by brilliant visionary Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth), inmates wear a surgically attached device that administers dosages of mind-altering drugs in exchange for commuted sentences. There are no bars, no cells, or orange jumpsuits. In Spiderhead, incarcerated volunteers are free to be themselves. Until they’re not. At times, they’re a better version. Need to lighten up? There’s a drug for that. At a loss for words? There’s a drug for that, too. But when two subjects, Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett), form a connection, their path to redemption take a twistier turn, as Abnesti’s experiments start to push the limits of free will altogether.

Kosinski is best known for directing Top Gun: Maverick and TRON: Legacy.

Newman’s notable credits include Narcos, Narcos: Mexico, and True Story.

We discussed creating the tone of the movie, the different dynamics, and their favorite sequences.

Watch my full interview below: