Director: Antoine Le
Cast: Matthew Solomon, John Savage, Tim Drier
Production Company: Branded Pictures Entertainment
Runtime: 96 minutes
Skeptics are made to be broken. At least, that’s the way it usually goes down in the movies! When will people stop messing around with the supernatural for fun and profit? Hopefully never, since it makes for some intriguing cinema. Followed (2019) will make you a believer too…
In the film, a popular vlogger decides to do a Halloween episode from the allegedly haunted Hotel Lennox in order to gain subscribers. He thinks it’s all a big hoax, despite concerns raised by members of his crew. Paranormal situations may just change his mind…
The movie is based loosely on the tragic and perhaps supernatural occurrences that have taken place at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. In fact, the well-known story of Elisa Lam is central to the movie’s plot, thought it has been fictionalized in this case.
Followed is a found footage movie that takes place entirely on a computer screen. In this way, it is similar to Unfriended (2014) and E-Demon (2018). It’s also different since this is a collection of footage that someone is uploading and watching with you in real time.
Matthew Solomon plays Mike, the web show’s abrasive and controversial host. He’s both charming and irritating in the role. His character’s attitude helps to make this a classic story of hubris and retribution. His tenacity keeps the movie moving forward into darker territory.
John Savage from The Deer Hunter (1978), The Onion Field (1979), and Tales of Halloween (2015) makes a special appearance as haunted hotel historian Wallace Fleisher. He adds a serious tone to the opening scenes of the movie, which are otherwise much lighter.
The film also features Blanca Blanco from Bermuda Tentacles (2014), Sam Valentine from The Incantation (2018), Kate Romero from Syngenor (1990), Brianna McClellan from The Revenant (2012), and Terumi Shimazu from Puppet Master X: Axis Rising (2012).
Followed borrows from the found footage genre, while also focusing on character development and more traditional narrative elements. It’s a horror movie for today’s technological world, with its eye on the creepiest urban legends of the past. It also has a surprising moral message…
– John Migliore
For more information on the film, check out the links below…
Indie Horror Online 