Following (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Spencer S

  
  An early example of the masterful narrative that Nolan would cultivate with his later films (Memento, The Prestige) this exemplifies neo-noir on a shoe string budget. The story is simple, original, and bare boned of anything except being a gritty thriller that evolves from a simple… More
  An early example of the masterful narrative that Nolan would cultivate with his later films (Memento, The Prestige) this exemplifies neo-noir on a shoe string budget. The story is simple, original, and bare boned of anything except being a gritty thriller that evolves from a simple psychological concept and into a full out noir. Our main character is nameless, and his story is one of manipulation, quiet narcissism and lack of formal composure. Though much of this was shot in natural light, and had to be heavily rehearsed in order for Nolan to afford the film it was made on, it looks purposefully amateur. The film is a three-tiered flashback sequence, much like the film Memento which would bring him the acclaim he so rightly deserved. The film is filled with edge and frequently features character exposition rather than a narrative, which is one of the more bombastic of the noir cliches. Nolan sidesteps these problems with a knack for storytelling and building suspense through strategic pinpoints of the flowing plotline. The actors weren't all too spectacular for what they were called upon to do, which was balance Nolan's storytelling. Still, their buildup to the end was fraught with tension. I felt it was a tad anticlimactic at the end, but the reveal was pretty ingenious for what little he had to work with. Just in that context of the plot are two double crosses, a saucy femme fatale, and the rogue hero turns out to be just as naive and callous as the antagonist. A great insight into the mind of one of our time's greatest directors and writers, with the resources of any UCLA student; it just blows me away.

• Jameson W

  
  I love this film! Christopher Nolan's debut film Following is nothing short of a masterpiece. <br/> <br/>This film completely blew my mind. Not necessarily because of the signature Christopher Nolan twist and chonology, but becuase of it's uniqueness. I have… More
  I love this film! Christopher Nolan's debut film Following is nothing short of a masterpiece. <br/> <br/>This film completely blew my mind. Not necessarily because of the signature Christopher Nolan twist and chonology, but becuase of it's uniqueness. I have never heard of a 70 minute film that packs as huge a punch as this. Emotion, conflict, intensity, dialogue, action.....this film truly has it all. I really was so captivated by the film and each scene was so brilliantly executed; time did not matter. It delivered just as much as any normal 2 hour feature film. Brilliant! <br/> <br/>The budget of this film is basically nonexistent.....it was $60,000! That's all! In fact, the crew worked only on weekends in between their normal day jobs. Also, the actors were no names. They give fantastic performances considering they have been in nothing besides this. The performances definitely could have been better if played by well known actors, but this cast deserves much praise becuase they are brilliant in this film. Even though the acting is not top-notch, it still adds to the unique charm, appeal, and feel of this film. <br/> <br/>Another thing I love is the Alred Hitchcock feel of the film. The black and white......perfect. Also, Lucy Russel looks just like a famous Hitchcock blonde actress. Many of the scenes I could have just as much pictured Grace Kelly or Joan Fontaine playing a role. The dialogue also had sort of an old-timy feel to it, as did the the music. <br/> <br/>This little gem of film is certainly no Memento or Inception, but this little film is brilliant in ways Nolan's other, more modern, films are not. If you have yet to see this film and are a huge Nolan, check this film out to see where it all began. It really is a great, highly entertaining, engaging film! Absolutely fantastic...I recommend it!

• Spencer M

  
  Ending really comes out of nowhere, good stuff

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  A deserving preview to the massive amount of talent Christopher Nolan would display in the following years to this 1998 first work. Memento was his breakthrough and Following resembles that film's structure but in a simpler, much more modest way. Shot in 16mm and on a $6,000… More
  A deserving preview to the massive amount of talent Christopher Nolan would display in the following years to this 1998 first work. Memento was his breakthrough and Following resembles that film's structure but in a simpler, much more modest way. Shot in 16mm and on a $6,000 budget, Following is tense, exciting and unpredictable, albeit a little short at just 69 minutes. Alex Haw and Lucy Russell are devilishly good in this neo-noir.

• Kase V

  
  This claustrophobic neo-noir is a prime example of a mastermind at work, Christopher Nolan. The writing is amazing, because everything about the plot, surprisingly, works. It's also pretty easy to understand. The only problem i had was in regards to the nonlinear plot. I was… More
  This claustrophobic neo-noir is a prime example of a mastermind at work, Christopher Nolan. The writing is amazing, because everything about the plot, surprisingly, works. It's also pretty easy to understand. The only problem i had was in regards to the nonlinear plot. I was curious, was this method really necessary? It slightly hindered on my experience when I was trying to piece the plot together before it all unfolded before me. This method was obviously necessary in Nolan's future film, 'Memento', but here, i don't know. Anyhow, this film is just more proof that Nolan is easily one of our generation's most talented filmmakers, whether he's writer, photographer, or director.

• Dan S

  
  A cleverly conceived psycho-drama concerning a creep (Jeremy Theobald) who follows people randomly due to sheer boredom, and his encounter with a smooth-talking thief (Alex Haw). With the thief's ability to break into any house combined with the creep's skill at knowing… More
  A cleverly conceived psycho-drama concerning a creep (Jeremy Theobald) who follows people randomly due to sheer boredom, and his encounter with a smooth-talking thief (Alex Haw). With the thief's ability to break into any house combined with the creep's skill at knowing where people are and knowing how to follow them, the two make for an unlikely pair. This film does plod from time to time (especially at its mid-section), but the ending is appropriately Nolan-like. This is a nicely put together thriller that does a good job constructing a rug-pulling conclusion. Not a very long film, but still worth a watch nonetheless.

• Ken S

  
  Nice little neo-noir covered in Nolan's future fingerprints.

• Jonathan H

  
  Nolan's neo-noir feature debut is definitely worth a viewing. His penchant for non-linear plot structure is on full display, and probably more for budgetary reasons than for experimental purposes, he uses only natural light to contrast with his subtle noirish shadows. His unknown… More
  Nolan's neo-noir feature debut is definitely worth a viewing. His penchant for non-linear plot structure is on full display, and probably more for budgetary reasons than for experimental purposes, he uses only natural light to contrast with his subtle noirish shadows. His unknown cast delivers solid performances across the board, and the plot is thorough, clever and engaging. Ultimately though, the film is hampered by the very technique that it (and Nolan) is known for: the fragmented storyline. Here, it doesn't really serve the story and stalls any chance at building legitimate suspense. That being said, for his first film, it's not bad at all. He would go on to perfect this technique in Momento, and to an extent, Batman Begins. Speaking of which, I thought it was interesting that one of the apartments the protagonists rob in the film has a Batman logo on the door -- a nice piece of unintentional foreshadowing.

• xGary X

  
  A would be writer falls in with a voyeuristic burglar and becomes embroiled in blackmail and murder. Christopher Nolan's debut feature is filmed in grainy black & white with a no-name cast almost giving it the feel of a student project more than anything else. What does shine… More
  A would be writer falls in with a voyeuristic burglar and becomes embroiled in blackmail and murder. Christopher Nolan's debut feature is filmed in grainy black & white with a no-name cast almost giving it the feel of a student project more than anything else. What does shine through is his invention and writing skill, his now familiar non-linear timeline making you fill in the jigsaw puzzle of the plot while the script throws curves that you never fully predict even when you know that they're coming. It is clearly made on a shoestring and suffers in a similar way to El Mariachi in that the photography is barely TV standard and the acting, although not terrible, does not have the nuance to do the writing justice. It does show the obvious potential of one of the best new talents of the 21st century (no doubt being the "taster" that secured Nolan the cash to make Memento) and the intriguing noir style twists and turns make the film more than worth the 70 minute running time.

• Jay H

  
  It's really interesting to see Christopher Nolan's first effort, this film, made before he became a well-respected filmmaker. Everything Nolan fans like myself love about his films--the confusion, the necessity of watching twice, the twist conclusion--is present in this… More
  It's really interesting to see Christopher Nolan's first effort, this film, made before he became a well-respected filmmaker. Everything Nolan fans like myself love about his films--the confusion, the necessity of watching twice, the twist conclusion--is present in this film. Everything in the film that can be contributed to Nolan is near-perfect. The downfalls of the film come only in its execution. The inexperienced cast, while keen and natural for much of the film, are clearly a bit rough around the edges. Anyone who enjoyed "Memento," "The Prestige," or "Inception" would enjoy this film, and with an incredibly low running time of just 69 minutes and the film's availability on Netflix Instant Watch, Christopher Nolan fans have no excuse for not watching his debut film.

• Richard C

  
  A very smart and original movie. Grade: B+

• Aditya G

  
  "Following" is director Christopher Nolan's debut full length feature which was written, directed, co-produced and even filmed by Nolan. This low-budget gem is a classic example of Nolan's early penchant for Neo-Noir which is clearly his forte. Shot entirely in… More
  "Following" is director Christopher Nolan's debut full length feature which was written, directed, co-produced and even filmed by Nolan. This low-budget gem is a classic example of Nolan's early penchant for Neo-Noir which is clearly his forte. Shot entirely in black and white, "Following" follows the story of a struggling writer (Jeremy Theobald) known only as 'the young man' in the credits, who simply starts 'following' random people on the streets, with an initial intention of seeking inspiration for a novel. He is also narrating this story in a brooding voice over trying to explain 'what happened'. This, along with a somber tone and a melancholic background score, instantly draws the attention of the viewer. The story is told, as is clear in the very beginning, in a non-linear format. This writer then proceeds to explain one particular case, where he ended up following a man called "Cobb" (Alex Haw) who later reveals himself to be a burglar. The writer is intrigued by Cobb's well-dressed persona and smooth-talking manner and a seeming ease with which he appears to carry himself. Cobb invites him to accompany him to one of his burglaries. The writer then gets to witness Cobb's redefined, twisted version of a burglary in which Cobb's real pleasure lies, not in the material things, but in simply disturbing the status quo in the house by ruffling through their personal belongings, even much more personal stuff like underwear, rearranging stuff, drinking some of their wine, etc. His philosophy is that this way, people discover that their lives have been invaded and they will be forced to re-examine their lives and bring about a change in them! The writer is clearly impressed and starts to follow him on more his heists. The story takes a dramatically different, but a very interesting turn with the introduction of a couple more interesting characters. What is perhaps the most commendable aspect of "Following" is, that although the story is told in a non-linear fashion, it is not at all difficult to comprehend and you can easily put pieces together and fathom the story in a wholly satisfying manner as the end credits start rolling. And the non-linear structure helps to strengthen the suspense and give an extra edge to the twists involved in the story. Here lies the finesse of Nolan, in the way he has structured and sequenced the events. Perhaps any other non-linear arrangement wouldn't have been as effective! The film runs at a crisp length of about 70 minutes during which Nolan weaves a deadly web of deception and brews a classic neo-noir masterpiece in which, to use an oft-repeated phrase for lack of a better one, 'nothing is what it seems'! Nolan's taut story-telling technique, a diabolically clever plot, and some impressive acting from a largely unknown British cast makes "Following" a must-watch. Watch it for the early promise shown by Christopher Nolan in the Noir-drama genre, before he succumbed to the commercial aspects of film-making with his Batman comics adaptions and lengthy Sci-Fi action in recent years.

• Jason S

  
  A very interesting film about a man who follows people and gets wrapped up in a life of crime that spirals out of control. I like the look and feel of the movie. The idea that this guy spends so much time following people and watching them is creepy and interesting at the same time.… More
  A very interesting film about a man who follows people and gets wrapped up in a life of crime that spirals out of control. I like the look and feel of the movie. The idea that this guy spends so much time following people and watching them is creepy and interesting at the same time. It's what happens when you take people watching to a whole new and scary level. Christopher Nolan is great at creating a world for us to sit in while we watch these stories unfold and this is no exception.

• Corey W

  
  Nolan's first masterpiece. I loved placing all the pieces to this mystery/thriller in order during this short. The movie is wonderfully acted and each scene is measured perfectly, in the end, it all fits. Nolan definitely knows how to craft beauty into a story and also how to… More
  Nolan's first masterpiece. I loved placing all the pieces to this mystery/thriller in order during this short. The movie is wonderfully acted and each scene is measured perfectly, in the end, it all fits. Nolan definitely knows how to craft beauty into a story and also how to make every second in his film's count. "Following" is excellent and well worth the watch.

• Aaron N

  
  Bill: When I started to follow people, specific people, when I selected a person to follow, that's when the trouble started. The first feature and last completely original one, up until Inception, for director Christopher Nolan. Despite its very low budget, this film still… More
  Bill: When I started to follow people, specific people, when I selected a person to follow, that's when the trouble started. The first feature and last completely original one, up until Inception, for director Christopher Nolan. Despite its very low budget, this film still manages to show off some of the same visual senses and themes that Nolan has come to perfect over the years. The story involves a young man who has an obsession with following people, at first going by a set of rules, but eventually breaking them in order to stay with one specific person. However, this person, who introduces himself as Cobb, spots him and introduces the young man to his life of burglary, where he robs people for a different sort of reason than obtaining stolen items. As the film moves on, the young man gets more and more embroiled into the life Cobb has introduced him to. Similar to something like 'Bound' from the Wachowski brothers, which also happens to share many noir-ish qualities, this film was just a good enough way for a talented director to show off what he's capable of with a minimal budget, before launching into bigger and bigger projects. There may be a crude element here or there, but the film for the most part works and stands as an entertaining watch. Cobb: You take it away... to show them what they had.

• danny d

  
  an absolutely brilliant film from chris nolan. better than some of his recent work, possibly even than anything he has done short of his batman movies. the performance of haw was excellent and the story was captivating and brilliantly told. i have been annoyed lately at all of the… More
  an absolutely brilliant film from chris nolan. better than some of his recent work, possibly even than anything he has done short of his batman movies. the performance of haw was excellent and the story was captivating and brilliantly told. i have been annoyed lately at all of the movies with chopped up timelines, but nolan uses this better than anyone. the twisted ending is mournful yet satisfying and the elements were pulled off without holes. absolutely great flick.

• Arash X

  
  Wow, I didn't expect this, A low-budget gem, Nolan's great debut, Could have been better though

• Jennifer X

  
  It was cool in the fact that it was Christopher Nolan and everything he makes is mindbendingly awesome and fresh, but not cool in the fact that even though it was short a lot of details were extraneous and sometimes stuff felt painfully long. Of course, he can be excused for mishaps… More
  It was cool in the fact that it was Christopher Nolan and everything he makes is mindbendingly awesome and fresh, but not cool in the fact that even though it was short a lot of details were extraneous and sometimes stuff felt painfully long. Of course, he can be excused for mishaps because he was a film student, but I rate films relative to each other, not based on first tries or fiftieth tries. It's worth watching because you know what you're gonna get with Nolan, and because the two leads are frickin sexy.

• Christopher M

  
  Following was the debut feature film of now-famous director Christopher Nolan (currently helming the Batman films). It's a short, tight little film-noir about a man who, bored with day-to-day life, begins following people who interest him around, eventually taking up with a… More
  Following was the debut feature film of now-famous director Christopher Nolan (currently helming the Batman films). It's a short, tight little film-noir about a man who, bored with day-to-day life, begins following people who interest him around, eventually taking up with a burglar and naturally finding himself in trouble. It is a very interesting (and necessary) film to watch if you are a Nolan fan, because it is very much a precursor to his near-masterpiece Memento, which was the next film he made after Following. In this film one can see Nolan developing his unique style which comes completely to fruition in Memento; a style characterized by a non-linear format and clever/unique shot choices. But besides being an interesting study-piece, Following is a good film in its own regard; I found it to be compelling throughout and marked by some really clever scripting. I dug the use of the black & white, also. As a very cool film on its own, and an interesting look at the early work of one of today's most brilliant film auteurs, Following is definitely a film to check out.

• E.J. B

  
  A clever and splendidly tricky thriller, but you really have to suspend your disbelief.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings