Found footage is an ever popular sub-genre of horror with Antoine Le being just the latest filmmaker to attempt it with their film Followed. One of the growing trends to bring social media into the found footage arena, Followed joins influencer and YouTube sensation Drop the Mike (Matthew Solomon). Mike’s online channel has him investigating the sites of murders and the general macabre. As popular as the channel is, Mike is on the hunt for a larger audience and finds his prayers answered when a big sponsor agrees to pay Mike and his team a whole lot of cash in exchange for spending Halloween night in the supposedly haunted Hotel Lennox.
Events get off to a creepy enough start, there’s some playful moments where Le expertly builds the tension. The group set up cameras in their rooms to capture everything and in Paranormal Activity style there are a couple of chilling moments whilst our team are sleeping. These types of scenes also make your blood turn a little icy and here they’re really uncomfortable. The eeriest thing about Followed however, is that the fictional Hotel Lennox is based off of the very real Hotel Cecil of Downtown Los Angeles. Much like the hotel in Followed, Hotel Cecil has a long history of murders and unhappy accidents, and also has the notoriety of having been the home of the real-life eighties serial killer, The Night Stalker. Richard Ramirez (the actual name of The Night Stalker) is a key feature of Followed’s story, Mike booking the very same room that Ramirez stayed in. The factual basis of the film coats it with an uncomfortable feeling, the viewer getting the sensation they are watching something they shouldn’t. This intensifies upon discovering the fact that footage of a victim who stayed in Hotel Cecil was used within the piece. This video material is taken from another true story on which the story is built; revolving around an elevator game and a body found in the hotel’s water tank.
As Mike, Matthew Solomon certainly looks and acts the part of a social media star, his bowtie and heavy glasses giving him the appearance of an alternative Blippi. Mike is not what you would term a likeable lead. His character has an odd sense of humour and his ego makes him insufferable for most of the time we are with him. His constant use of his catchphrase ‘What’s up Minions?!’ gets old fast and it can become a little tricky to root for him. By the time Solomon is allowed to show a softer side of Mike, the plot has advanced past the point of return, and whilst the audience don’t wish him ill, they won’t be as empathetic as they could be.
Followed may begin strongly, but as the narrative progresses, its plot points become muddled. From around the halfway point onwards, everything gets confused and it becomes difficult to properly decipher what is happening. At this point, Le steps away from the tension focused scares to more overt shocks that eventually leave the viewer desensitised and likely a tad disappointed. Nonetheless, there are plenty of worse offenders with the found footage genre, which places Followed somewhere in the middle of the pack overall.
Followed
Summary
The factual inspiration for Followed makes for uncomfortable viewing, but ultimately, despite a strong opening, things end up a little lost and confused.
Followed is released on Altitude.film and other digital platforms from 11 October.
