Apple Won't Let Villains Use iPhones In Movies, According To Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson just gave the game away. If you're watching a mystery movie set in modern times, and you're trying to find out who the villain is, there's a sure-fire way to solve the case: pay attention to the phones people are using. According to the Knives Out director, Apple has a rule that forbids filmmakers from letting the bad guys in movies use an iPhone. So, uh, spoiler alert for every single modern-day mystery going forward.

In this scene breakdown above, Rian Johnson decides to let the cat out of the bag and reveal the truth about iPhones in movies. "Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies," Johnson says, "but – and this is very pivotal if you're watching a mystery movie – bad guys can not have iPhones on camera." Johnson then adds that every single filmmaker who has a bad guy in their movie wants to murder him for giving away the secret.

This never even occurred to me, but from a business perspective, it makes sense. Apple doesn't want a serial killer running around chatting on one of their products. This leads to another question, though: Which companies are okay with this? Does Samsung not have a problem with a psychopath pulling out his or her Galaxy S10 Plus phone to check the time? Also: What criteria does Apple take into consideration to classify someone a "bad guy"? Can someone committing a petty crime still use an iPhone? Is there a moral gray area? I want answers.

Anyway, next time you're watching a mystery movie – like Knives Out 2, perhaps! – pay close attention to the phones the characters are using. If you spot someone with a phone that isn't an iPhone, they're probably guilty. Unless the director knows you know this, and has intentionally given all the characters non-iPhones to throw you off. What a twist!