The 30-minute film starts deep in the ocean, so far down you can't even see the surface. The only source of light is a lamp that slowly drifts towards you, illuminating two figures. One is a woman, the other a child, both are falling lifelessly towards the bottom. If I were watching on a TV, it would be a sad, but beautiful scene. In VR though, I felt compelled to reach out and save them. Instead, help comes in the form of a man. He's a burly fellow and a powerful swimmer -- so it's all the more heartbreaking when he struggles to save them both. In the end, he has to leave the woman behind, and we're left watching her sink out of sight. Welcome to Arden's Wake.

As the studio's film Allumette proved, Penrose isn't afraid to pull heartstrings. But what really sells its stories are a combination of fluid character animation, VR innovation and strong voice acting. We've seen VR experiences with notable actors attached, like Dear Angelica, which featured Geena Davis and Mae Whitman. But Arden's Wake is notable for having an immensely talented Oscar winner behind its lead character. Vikander plays Meena as an innocent and lonely young woman, one who was raised in a tiny building floating atop an endless ocean. She's still dealing with the loss of her mother, and her father is her only companion.

"This project is unlike anything I've ever done before, and I think virtual and augmented reality are going to be big in Hollywood, as well as entertainment more broadly," Vikander said in a statement. "Meena's character has a special spark, and I was immediately drawn to her when I experienced her in VR. The movie daringly brings up difficult situations while also allowing viewers to get quite close to the characters in such an immersive and emotional experience."