We’ve covered a few of director Alex J. Mann’s short films here on Arrow in the Head – his Snapchat horror story 3 SECONDS, his Instagram horror story ME2, and the emoji slasher WINK. Mann now has a new project online, and like his previous shorts this one has a tech twist. It’s called COOL, and it’s about
a smart thermostat that tries to sabotage a young couple’s relationship.
The really cool thing about COOL is the fact that it’s a “choose your own adventure” thriller. The viewer is given the option to make choices for the thermostat, and the choices you make can lead to one of three different endings. I have played through COOL twice now, and the different options I picked made for two different viewing experiences. My first choices made it a rather straightforward relationship drama, while my second choices took things in a very dark direction.
Give COOL a try in the embed below. It’s pretty fun.
The actors playing the characters whose lives your choices manipulate are Dan J. Johnson and Elisabeth Hower. Tristan Clopet provided the voice of Cool, the thermostat.