The Follower

Tired found footage film. Is there something supernatural? Where does the film go with this? Can the lead actor voice what his motivations are to help him deliver any line convincingly? I'll answer the last question: no. Too bad that this is who they picked to star in this film. The actor is unconvincing in the title, tended to read his lines as if he was also explaining the stage directions of the script and piecing together what his motivation was to speak the lines he had. The script did little to help him be able to offer any acting chops, but I doubt he would have done well if there was a better script. Maybe it was one of the minimalist scripts that just set the stage and then allow the actors to be in the moment in character. Who knows. Oh, the movie and its plot and conclusion. Yeah, it was that important.

Did you ever watch a movie and think, "just what the hell are they doing?" The Follower had a good story, good atmosphere, good sets, and good filming. So, technically not bad. But, my God! Yes, it's a low budget feature. Which is probably why they didn't spend to have performers who knew what they were doing. David and Carol are played with such glaring incompetence that all the good points are washed away with acting barely above a high school level. Carol was played with wide-eyed, cringe-worthy silliness. David whines and emotes to the point where you wish you could reach through the screen and smack him. Some of the exchanges between them are so absurd they go into Ed Wood territory...and that's an insult to Ed Wood! I have no idea what they were going for. But if you want a primer on how to ruin an otherwise decent production this is a movie to put on your list.

Watching this is a waste of time. Doing anything else with your time is better than watching this movie

If you head into director Kévin Mendiboure's new found footage venture The Follower expecting more of a slow-burning thriller over a jump scare heavy horror, then this solid attempt at crafting a different spin on the usual genre tropes that have plagued other found footage films will be a screening worth taking.

Shot on a shoe string budget with a tiny cast headlined by Nicolas Shake's blogger/internet personality David Baker who has a keen interest in the supernatural but starts to wish he didn't after Chloé Dumas's fan and keen follower Carol Anderson invites David to her isolated homestead to experience some odd supernatural occurrences, The Follower in many ways walks in the line of many other films of the same ilk yet overcomes a poor performance from Dumas, some at times weak scripting and a pace that crawls at times to a snail's pace to be a film that shows promise for Mendiboure as a filmmaker with his ability to turn expectations on their heads in the films finale.

After a long-winded build up where David finds himself troubled at home after his stay with Carol, the true nature of what is occurring at the Dumas property becomes apparent and The Follower ups the ante considerably as both David and the audience become acutely aware on what is transpiring for our protagonists.

It's a shame then for the film that has such a strong last act that so much of what comes before doesn't quite match it. Shake's performance is solid (even if you can't help but feel Justin Long has a clone) and Mendiboure doesn't over-do shaky or grainy footage that can so often infest these type of experiences but the film was crying out from a few more scares, stronger character development and a more expertly polished script, all elements that if prevalent, would've made The Follower a genuine indie must-see.

Final Say –

The Follower leaves a lot to be desired but there's also enough promise here to suggest Mendiboure has the potential to be a filmmaker of note. Not one for horror buffs due to the lack of genuine chills and blood spills, The Follower is however a solid low-budget affair with a particularly neat sleight-of-hand that should catch unsuspecting viewers by surprise.

2 ½ movie posters out of 5

The acting alone is enough to make you cringe. Plus there is almost nothing to speak of for the first 40 minutes of this train wreck of a movie. DO NOT waste your time.