HighFive, App That Reformats Films Into Vertical Videos, Debuts Joe Mantegna’s ‘The Friendly’ As First Feature

• Movies are going vertical.
• The app HighFive is making it happen.
• Joe Mantegna’s ‘The Friendly’ is the first test.

We just saw something that made us stop scrolling. For a long time, watching movies on a phone felt wrong. You had to flip your screen. It felt clunky. Now, a new app called HighFive is changing the game by turning full movies into vertical videos.

Wait. What? Yes, it is true. Joe Mantegna’s indie film, ‘The Friendly,’ is the first one to try this. Creators Jason Strickman and Kumbáli Satori built a tool that lets directors reformat their work. They call it a creative tool for the mobile age. It is not just a simple crop. It is a new way to tell a story.

As art students, we are looking at the vibe of this very closely. The vertical frame creates a very personal aesthetic. It feels intimate. The colors and faces seem closer to the viewer. It is like a TikTok with a massive budget and a real script.

This news comes at a wild time for cinema. We are still waiting on big hits like Avatar 3. Meanwhile, Sony is busy scripting a Django/Zorro film. We also loved seeing Preity Zinta’s sharp reply to a netizen lately. Things are changing fast in Hollywood.

Our Take

We think this is pretty cool. Is it for everyone? Maybe not. But it fits how we live now. We spend all day holding our phones upright. Why should movies be any different? We love seeing filmmakers play with new shapes and styles. It keeps the art fresh and fun.