The Follower was not something I had any expectations for. I like to watch low-budget films and try to appreciate them, so what if the audio isn’t perfect and the lighting could be better? If the story has depth and the acting is believable, it can end up being great.
For the first few scenes, I must admit that The Follower left me very impressed. The premise was pretty surprising to me, just like Creep 2 and the quality was much more impressive than anticipated.
As I have written previously in this review, what lowers the score the most is not the middle section, but rather something else. It is quite simple, which is something that appears in a lot of first-time feature films by directors new to the form. The Follower’s weakness is a simple one- there is no middle.
While it is disappointing this has to be taken into account, it does not take anything away from the great elements that are present in the film as it stands. This means because of this, my rating is much lower than what I think it truly deserves. But some key elements let it down. Right now, it deserves a rating of 2.5, when it could easily be one star higher.
I was somewhat conflicted about the cast of The Follower. In any case, Nicholas Shake is someone I really took a liking to from the start. He’s the main character and he does a great job. He reminds me a bit of Justin Long and that’s not a bad thing. I associate Jefferies with two classic horror movies. Jeepers Creepers (before we knew the director was a creep himself) and Drag Me To Hell (by Sam Raimi).
Chloé Dumas plays the role of Carol Anderson which suggests some Scandinavian background. Well, being a Scandinavian, I am used to watching movies and shows from different parts of the world. As a child, we had channels available in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, and English. Basically, I just watched whatever entertained me and so I’ve heard all these languages spoken for as long as I can remember.
In this movie, Chloé Dumas sounded like an English speaker who is trying to speak Scandinavian which perhaps explains why she is French. But the point is, she shouldn’t have an accent, or rather, it wouldn’t be a problem if there were some explanation. And during the few moments she needed to be aggressive or annoyed, her accent came through even stronger. It’s quite unfortunate since the best parts of the film are those which take place in that house with only her and Nicholas Shake.
And just to clarify, it is not what I mean, but the accent issue is especially annoying to me. However, Chloé Dumas in The Follower, as Carol Anderson, did some amazing work. She is pure evil one moment and gentle and tender the next that alone is perfect for any horror movie!
Between the old, spooky house, The Follower is a true horror movie in all its glory. The weakness of the movie is its middle, where the house is left. I understand the intention, but those scenes quite drastically appear and feel more low budget.
This was arguably the slowest part of the movie the viewer doesn’t grasp well at all because several of the scenes and plots (character-wise) has holes. Of course it doesn’t mean that the entire movie is a letdown, it only means that a lot of the tension which had been built so effectively is lost.
As I had said at the start of this review, any low budget production does not attract my attention regarding the technical aspects. If the scenes in the movie makes me jump and I’m completely engrossed by the story at times, then he knows his craft.
I have no doubt that Kévin Mendiboure, the director, is good at his job. The Follower displays his talent so magnificently at times. After all, it is just a matter of more precise focus on writing for his first feature film. Or perhaps letting the details breathe instead of suffocating them with more scenes. For one, the sex scene really served no purpose for the film. But then again, we all know the saying “sex sells,” so I’m not surprised it was included.
Whatever Kévin Mendiboure makes next is bound to capture our attention. Moreover, given his proven track record, I believe he will continue to improve with every production. And with the glimpses of sheer terror displayed in The Follower, he has the capability to create some incredible pieces in the future.
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