It starts with a knock. Or was it a scream? Either way, the Unit 234 trailer barrels in like a forgotten VHS from the 80s—grainy, grimy, and gloriously unpredictable. But don't be fooled by the neon lighting and familiar faces. This isn't your dad's Don Johnson. This is something darker. Stranger. Organ-harvestingly intense.
Collider's exclusive drop of the trailer gave us our first proper look at this indie-tinged thriller, and oh boy—it delivers chaos in a storage unit. Yes, a storage unit. The place where dreams go to mildew and die. But here, it's where secrets wake up screaming. The setup? Classic. Laurie (Isabelle Fuhrman), a bored night attendant, meets Jules (Johnson), a suspicious smooth-talker with bad intentions and no paperwork. When she peeks into Unit 234, she finds a man on a gurney, handcuffed and missing a kidney.
It's a scene that plays like Storage Wars crossed with Saw—but without the cheap gore. This is slicker. More psychological. A powder keg of paranoia in a windowless maze.
Let's talk about the cast. Isabelle Fuhrman, forever etched in our minds as the eerie Esther in Orphan, now plays a grounded protagonist who radiates that “final girl” energy without dipping into cliché. She's vulnerable, yes, but not naive. And then there's Don Johnson—vintage Miami Vice royalty—leaning into the grit. His Jules is charming in the way gasoline is shiny: dangerous, flammable, and hard to look away from.
Then there's Clayton (Jack Huston), who wakes up kidney-less and terrified. Jack's known for playing haunted men—his Boardwalk Empire run as Richard Harrow is TV legend. Here, he's stripped down to raw nerve. Who is he really? A victim? Or bait?
And behind the camera? Andy Tennant. Yes, the Hitch guy. But this ain't romcoms anymore. Partnering with first-time screenwriter Derek Steiner, Tennant dives into grunge thriller territory with a confidence that's, frankly, surprising.
The Genre Flip You Didn't See Coming
Here's the thing—trailers love to lie. But this one tells half a truth. While it screams action-thriller, the trailer hints at psychological horror. The music drops out in key moments. There are long, uncomfortable silences. Characters say one thing but mean another. The real antagonist may not even be human—it's desperation. And maybe guilt.
Remember when 10 Cloverfield Lane dropped its first trailer? That same claustrophobic dread is here. You're locked in with these people—and not sure who's worse.
So, will Unit 234 be a cult hit? Maybe. If it leans into the tension, keeps its mystery intact, and lets Fuhrman and Johnson cook—then yes, absolutely. But if it goes full Taken 6: Kidney Edition, we riot.
Would you open the door to Unit 234? Or just walk away? Let us know below—your pulse might be the only thing intact.
