Plot Summary: Struggling actor and moderately successful live-streaming star Jess Peters has found her way into the zeitgeist. By secretly filming creepy interactions she encounters via online job listings, she uses the kinks and weirdness of others for Internet success. For her next episode she’s hired to write the ending of a screenplay, which leads her to a cabin in the woods with Tom, the self-proclaimed writer. But reading the script, Jess realizes she is the main character and Tom is not who he seems…
Follow Her seemed to check a lot of boxes for me. First and foremost, I really love social media and cyber-based horror. Recently, there have been fantastic little indie gems such as Deadstream and Dashcam tackling these subjects. Both of these film’s offer up very different but engaging glimpses into the drive for influencer fame leading to some horrifying ends. Like the aforementioned films, Follow Her takes the template of wanting money and fame online to some very dark and scary spaces. Yet, it also has a lot to say about modern connected society at large.
Right from the clever cold open, Follow Her establishes not only a solid tone, but also, you are never totally on clear footing. The misdirection and genre subversions are extremely well thought out and executed. It’s this being constantly off-balance is part of what makes the film so engaging. Narrative wise, the credit sequence (with the song “Fan to Flame” which slaps) does a lot of heavy lifting. It sets up Jess’ (Dani Barker) line of work, the social media platform she uses to make money and the various gigs she takes on. We get all of this info within the first five minutes or so. Director Sylvia Caminer certainly knows exactly how to ratchet up and sustain tension. There are moments that had me gripping my chair, never knowing exactly where the narrative was going.
The most amazing thing about this movie is its larger message woven into its entertainment. Most of the films talking about influencer culture only boil things down to the most surface level: women using their agency for personal gains is a very bad thing. She must be shamed, if not totally punished in some awful way. Not only is this a lazy form of writing, it’s also incredibly narrow minded and reductive. Caminer and Barker not only don’t judge nor try to shame Jess, but she is celebrated for her personal autonomy. Yes, Jess does get some much-deserved comeuppance, but I never felt it was done in a way to demoralize or dehumanize her. Sure, she made a mistake, but she’s human, and we all have failings.
I also find this fascinating as it is a commentary on content, but again, I think Follow Her manages to feel fresh in its deconstruction. It does this by presenting these modern issues as morally gray. In this way, things don’t come off like a boomer lecturing you on how awful social media and social platform monetization is. You can even take this a step further and say that there is a monkey’s paw, be careful what you wish for, aspect at play. There is a pretty heartbreaking scene where Jess goes to the police but her story isn’t being taken seriously. She is even blamed which is sadly something that really happens to many women who are brave enough to come forward and speak up.
Barker and Luke Cook have this undeniable chemistry together, which makes for some very steamy, but also very off-putting moments. Barker is tasked with being our heroine, the POV character and the emotional centerpiece. She does an excellent job and truly showcases a wide range of acting skills that kept me engaged throughout. You really do completely root for her, even when her morals are a bit questionable. Cook is equally great and while yes, he does go a bit ham in his performance, I think it works very well within the context of the film and wider world Caminer and Barker created. He also made me feel very uncomfortable, yet fully engaged by his wicked charms. He is just an utter joy to watch.
Follow Her isn’t perfect and some aspects feel underwritten, and it does contend with some clunky dialogue. But damned if I didn’t find this to be an overall great movie. I won’t spoil anything but this feels like the filmmakers set this up to be a series, which would be excellent.
Caminer and Barker’s outing is a dangerous and fresh take on social media horror. Follow Her is a tense, engaging, interesting and wild ride.
Follow Her had its UK Premiere at FrightFest 2022.
Directors: Sylvia Caminer
Runtime: 95m
Cast: Dani Barker, Luke Cook, Eliana Jones, Mark Moses
Check out our interview with ‘Follow Her’ actor Luke Cook
Caminer and Barker’s outing is a dangerous and fresh take on social media horror. Follow Her is a tense, engaging, interesting and wild ride.
-
GVN Rating 8
-
User Ratings (0 Votes)
0
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.