Gentle Monster casts Joaquin Phoneix in its Intelligent Eyewear campaign
The brand shared a preview to the short film by Jonathan Glazer coming later this month featuring its Intelligent Eyewear collection
Gentle Monster has never been shy about making a spectacle. For its latest campaign, the eyewear brand is taking that instinct to the cinema, enlisting Joaquin Phoenix and director Jonathan Glazer for a short film introducing its Intelligent Eyewear collection.
The brand has shared a first preview ahead of the full film’s arrival later this month. And with Glazer behind the camera, a straightforward tour of the product features was always unlikely. Instead, the filmmaker brings Phoenix into a surreal hotel encounter that makes checking in look considerably more complicated than handing over a passport.
The pairing makes sense. Phoenix brings an unpredictable presence to the screen, while Glazer’s talent for making familiar settings feel deeply strange gives the campaign its cinematic pull. Together, they turn the promise of wearable technology into something with atmosphere, humour and a healthy dose of unease.
For Gentle Monster, it’s also an opportunity to place design at the centre of a conversation often dominated by technical specifications. These glasses are accessories you can imagine wanting to wear before discovering what they can do. The film gives that proposition a suitably unconventional setting, inviting viewers to consider how technology might change the way we interpret what’s in front of us.
The full film arrives later in November, with the collection set to drop in December. Pre-orders open on 12 November. Until then, the teaser offers plenty to puzzle over. Consider it a coming attraction for your face, with Phoenix providing the star power.