What did David Fincher and Zach Creggar do on Unhinged, exactly?
The new Netflix interactive streaming horror game Unhinged has just been released on the platform and there’s a big mystery at the core of it: Filmmakers David Fincher and Zach Creggar are both involved… they get a special thanks in the credits… but it is unknown exactly what they did.
This Variety article suggests their involvement was substantial.
Before players enter the world of “Unhinged,” they will see an 18-and-up content rating that warns of the gore to come. But exactly how bloody did Fincher, Cregger and Night School want to make it and how much did they end up leaving to the imagination?
“There are some extremely grotesque moments, but we didn’t want to go there to make it like ‘Saw’ level, front to back, that level of stuff,” Krankel says. “But we did want you to feel really uncomfortable at times.”
I haven’t yet played the game, but I’m very keen. Netflix has explored interactive, branched games on its screen in the past with Black Mirror side project Bandersnatch being the most prominent production. This seems to have the mechanics of a proper game.
When Netflix first announced it was getting into games, this is the sort of experience that I expected from the business and not its suite of pretty generic mobile games. Unhinged looks and feels like Netflix.
A week or two ago in this newsletter I lamented the fact that streaming services in 2026 still feel a lot more traditional and akin to what TV shows felt like at the dawn of streaming (even if there have been some vibe shifts during that time). Interactive experiences like this, with the involvement of master storytellers like Fincher and Creggar (assuming their roles on the production were meaningful), are exactly where Netflix should be.
I’m hoping that Unhinged is both good and a success for Netflix because this is exactly the sort of production we should be seeing with regularity on the streamer. And it doesn’t just have to be horror experiences. I’d love to watch a romcom in this style so that when we are shouting at the screen “Kiss her, you fool,” we can actually do something about it.
News Desk
The UK govt has signalled an intent to intervene in the Paramount takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. Read: Variety
Tom Hardy is back on board for season three of MobLand, delivering a far more likely renewal. Read: Deadline
Benjamin Cavell, the creator of SEAL Team and a longtime writer/producer on Justified, is the new showrunner on Dutton Ranch. Read: THR
Mark Harmon is back full-time as an NCIS actor, appearing in a split timeline story across season three of NCIS: Origins. Read: Deadline
Authentic Brands Group has just acquired the Care Bears IP. Expect to see it exploited in a big way once again in the coming years, which is true to the spirit of Care Bears. Read: Variety
Pruitt Taylor Vince is among six actors announced to join the supporting cast of The Pitt for season three. Read: Deadline
Netflix has renewed Nemesis for a second season. Read: thefutoncritic
Neve Campbell will re-team with Party of Five co-creator Chris Keyser on a new family drama for HBO Max. Read: Deadline
Kids book series The Last Kids on Earth is again being adapted as a TV series, this time in live-action for Disney+. Read: THR
Gene Wilder’s voice has been digitally recreated for the upcoming Netflix reality game show Wonka’s Golden Ticket. His voice was generated via AI by the team at ElevenLabs. Read: IF
Netflix is developing a TV series alongside Shaun Levy’s production company based on role-playing game Persona. Read: Variety
Trailer Park
X-Men 97 will return for season 2 on Disney+ July 1.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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