Follow (2015)
Starring Noah Segan, Olivia Grace Applegate, Haley Lu Richardson
Directed by Owen Egerton
No matter the dozens upon dozens of horror movies we have all sat through in our lives, it’s fair to argue that love and the significant effect it can have on any one of us can sometimes be one of the most terrifying things we ever encounter. There is clearly something to be said about the frightening nature of love and the deep trust that develops between two people as a romance grows more consuming. When you feel like your life is already inescapably intertwined with another’s, what could be scarier than discovering the person you thought you knew so well possibly has other, more sinister intentions in mind for you both?
In his feature directorial debut Follow, which had its world premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest, screenwriter/novelist Owen Egerton seeks to address the fears and terrors that can turn relationships from a safe haven to an inescapable nightmare. In a very promising opening scene, we are introduced to Quinn (Segan), a charming artist, and his spirited girlfriend, Thana (Applegate). We descend upon the couple mid-afternoon on a lake as they are playing a game, challenging each other to see which can hold their breath under water the longest. In just a few short moments, a scene is set that is first quite sweet, but then grows progressively concerning as Thana speaks cryptically to Quinn. Something is amiss here, although we aren’t quite sure what at this point.
We come to find that Quinn and Thana live together in a home rented from a kind next-door neighbor (“Happy Days” alum Don Most, still endearing as ever). They converse as lovers who are doing their best to maintain positive airs, but it becomes evident that Quinn is seeking to advance his own professional aspirations and Thana may not be completely on board.
A few days before Christmas, Thana offers up some kinky foreplay and a mysterious gift to Quinn, who happily obliges. As he opens the gift, however, things take a very ominous turn, and he blacks out. When he awakens, he comes to find that things have been turned upside down in the most unexpected of ways, and we are left to follow Quinn’s slow descent into madness. Without giving too much away, the journey is unfortunately a mixed bag of uneven character development, misplaced humor, and few moments of true engagement.
Given the themes that are heavily suggested in the film’s opening moments, one might expect a chilling ride with a heavy emotional pull or enlightening commentary on limits in relationships. Follow does not deliver on these promises unfortunately and instead provides a thinly constructed backstory (unveiled through flashbacks) that neither humanizes Thana and Quinn enough, nor provides any depth to the themes that clearly inspired the story. While the performances from genre favorite Segan and the charismatic Applegate make for a promising ride early on, they are ultimately hampered by a script that shoulders them with exchanges that feel unnatural and unrelatable. Thana is too early on portrayed as a latently crazy girlfriend, while Quinn is frustratingly indifferent to the escalating issues between the two of them until it’s too late.
When the action really gets going, he then spends the majority of the story making questionable decisions rather than seeking to uncover the truth, and it’s never quite clear why. At varying points, it is evident that Egerton wants you to question both Quinn and Thana’s mental states and roles in the grander scheme, but in the post-Gone Girl world, it’s hard to care when the flashbacks only continue to develop a middling relationship drama that lacks any true intrigue. There is most definitely a story here that begs to incite discussion about the lengths we will go for love, but as a writer, Egerton misses the mark when he decides to take the film in hokier directions.
As a director, however, Egerton notably succeeds in capturing excellently bleak visuals in the couple’s home, as well as executing some very entertaining sequences involving Quinn and Most’s character, and a particular scenario with Viv (Richardson), an employee from the bar where Quinn works. There is also a very unsettling moment featuring Segan and another character in Quinn’s bedroom that jolted some real life into the last act of the film. Additionally, the Christmas setting works wonders for the tone, particularly when the unsettlingly incongruous Christmas music chimes in as Quinn’s crazed state escalates.
Ultimately, Follow elicits more moments of frustration than intrigue, but only because the promise of a greater examination is disappointingly unrealized. While the film is certainly not a terrible one, is it unfortunately not the most memorable one either, a tough spot for a horror film in the midst of a very impressive lineup at this year’s Fantastic Fest. I will certainly hold out hope for a meatier genre attempt from Egerton though, as it does feel like he has one in him waiting to be teased out.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
