'Followed' Review: Film feeds off horror and social media obsession to produce a sweat-inducing nightmare
'Followed' isn't a screamer. Instead, it could be best called an intriguing micro-budget horror that could be added to the list of must-watch footage films. Antoine Le's feature film ticks the right boxes as it blends suspense and horror seamlessly. With the runtime spanning 90 minutes, the film takes the audience through a plot that can actually pass for a true story. Featuring Matthew Solomon as Mike, we see him as a vlogger with the site DropTheMike. He comes across as a stop-at-nothing guy setting out to explore the cursed Lennox Hotel.
The Lennox Hotel gets ample background and is the quintessential haunted house that's seen some gory mysterious deaths. In an attempt to increase his fanbase and land a potential sponsorship for the vlog, Mike sets out with his crew, Chris (Tim Drier), Danni (Sam Valentine) and Nic (Caitlin Grace) as they plan on spending three days and nights at the Lennox Hotel hoping to uncover the mystery and get it all on tape. Predictably, things go south for the four as they run into a series of paranormal events.
It's easy to love and hate Mike at the same time. He's every bit the vlogger the world has seen on a daily basis— witty, chatty, funny and at times seriously obstinate. Such is the stubborn attitude that supernatural acts at the hotel only makes his desire to stay and capture the ongoings only stronger. While the first 30 minutes is all about setting the context, the second and third acts swiftly bring in the horror elements. The blood, the gore and shrieks follow in quick succession.
Quite simply, 'Followed' is an enjoyable piece of content primarily because of its cast and the sound effects that it nails to absolute perfection. Essentially, the movie leaves you with an ending that is a tad different from how horror movies usually wind up. With potentially two types of endings, the film pretty much opens the floor for discussion as the end credits roll. 'Followed' is that sort of a film that's best watched with a bunch of pals simply so that an interesting conversation can be struck up.
More importantly, the film questions the impact of social media. The question is, "How far would you go to make a name for yourself on these platforms?" For Mike & Co, this is a horrific learning curve that may have left them scarred for life. This fame comes at a cost and the obsession to gain the recognition is detailed accurately in 'Followed'. Antoine Le and writer Todd Klick pick vlog as a theme to dish out a horror flick. In all, this one can get a 3 outta 5.
'Followed' releases in drive-in theatres on June 19 and will expand to more drive-in theaters on June 26. The VoD release date is yet to be confirmed.