Follow Her (2022) User Reviews

Throws a lot at the wall and just enough sticks

[jtindahouse · 6/10 · 15 June 2023]

There's quite a clever line in 'Follow Her' where the lead female character says something to the effect of, "the man can't just turn out to the killer, we've seen that in a thousand movies before." And it made me take pause, because the movie was seemingly being self-aware. But what it was really doing was making us realise everything can't be as straight forward as it would appear. So instead of just going along for the ride and thinking you know exactly how this will all pan out, you are suddenly aware of the potential for plot twists and turns, and you become a lot more invested in the movie for that reason.

And from there out the film does its best to surprise us and catch us out. The film certainly doesn't fail from lack of trying. It throws as much at the wall as it can and just enough sticks to keep it afloat. The only thing that lets it down is that it never quite delivers that knock out blow that leaves your jaw on the floor. Still, if you're in the mood for a switch-off-brain thriller then you could do much worse than 'Follow Her'. 6/10.

A Creepy Social Media Obsession

[sf_hamdan · 6/10 · 8 November 2023]

I watched this film online because I was tired of giant movies and super stars. I wanted to watch something while eating lunch in the afternoon, so I chose a random movie that appeared to be low-budget and whose actors were unknown and not among the elite stars...but the movie was very good.

Well made independent movie. If you like 'Black Mirrir' this was a little bit close to that, especially with the digital age with social media obsession.

The acting of the two main characters was excellent, and the plot is intriguing; you simply cannot predict what will happen next... The lead female character says : "the man can't just turn out to the killer, we've seen that in a thousand movies before." So you can't really know the... .... .. . Well, I won't spoil the events; The ending was ambiguous, You can't really tell what her last choice was.

Makes some good points about personal privacy in the speedy Information age where everyone is filmed at all times and people live their lives for the likes. Creepy and suspenseful.

The message here is: if you carry it too far, it will lead to consequences. Well: 6/10.

Ran Out Of Stream

[simonwoodwrites · 4/10 · 2 November 2023]

I guess this film was taking a swing at influencers and content creators and the Tik Tok generation. Also how people chase a dream regardless of how broken it is. It was trying to show there are real world consequences for narcissism I think.

The film ran out of steam once Jess meets her client Tom. It's really hard to carry a film with two characters in a single location. SLEUTH is one of the few stories to carry off that kind of intensity and FOLLOW HER didn't.

The big reveal shook things up but ultimately didn't go anywhere and the ending was predictable.

In the end, FOLLOW HER is a slew of ideas that fail to come together as a cohesive concept.

boring rewrite of Black Mirror episode

[inrite · 1/10 · 2 September 2022]

I dislike social media and the hellscape we've created in it's wake... but this movie was so boring and poorly acted. The only redeeming character was the cat. The movie does little to expand on the vapid people (the royal) we've become in the quest for stardom and likes. There are many Black Mirror episodes that masterfully comment on many aspects of what this movie aims for but misses. It's supposed to be meta within meta but it's just insipid. The dialog and plot points are so dull, and made even worse by all of the 'recaps' within the movie. Did i mention i liked the cat? Poor thing, i hope it can still find work after being associated with this movie...

Not scary, thrilling, or entertaining

[jfgibson73 · 1/10 · 7 June 2023]

Everything about this movie was amateurish in the worst way. It is not fun, low-budget B-movie entertainment. It is a dreary slog of a film that takes itself very seriously and was written and performed at a level on par with a student project. It was painful to watch. They absolutely did not have enough of a story to fill a feature film, so what you get feels like a community theater improv workshop trying to pad things out.

The main character is a social media personality trying to do what she can to increase her following. If that sounds like something you'd want to watch, go see Cam instead. It's a much more effective look at what a person will do to gain popularity online.

Review for Follow Her

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 7/10 · 23 November 2022]

This was a movie that I got to see at Nightmares Film Festival. All I knew coming in was that this was the Midwest premiere and this fell in the thriller's category. I'd say having now seen this, it is horror adjunct or close enough for me to include in my 2022 horror watches.

Synopsis: an aspiring actress responds to a mysterious classified ad and finds herself trapped in her new boss's twisted revenge fantasy.

For this movie, we are following Jess Peters (Dani Barker). She works for a cam-site. From what I can see, she doesn't get nude or anything like that. It is more that she vlogs things that she does. She is hovering outside of the top 10 for this site as well. She is also good friends with #1, who is Kai (Eliana Jones). Her father isn't as thrilled about this. He is a lawyer, Richard (Mark Moses). Her brother is as well.

Now an interesting thing happens here when she answered a classified ad for a toothpaste commercial. It turns into a fetish video where a man tickles her. He doesn't know he is being recorded. This video turns out to be a good one for her as it pushes her into the top 10. The problem is that the program to hide his face failed and the viewers can see it. Jess decides to pretend like she didn't realize and leave it up.

Jess then answers another ad that is looking for someone to help them finish writing a screenplay. He wants a woman's perspective as well. This person turns out to be Tom Brady (Luke Cook). He is from Australian and seems charming. This is to the point where he invites Jess to his place to get what he's written for the screenplay. There is attraction here, but things get weird. Jess tries to leave. She also must get the hidden cam she set up before she can. This cam is hidden in a pin and she put it on the mantel earlier in the night. Tom isn't who he seems though and this takes quite a dark turn with the truth of what is happening.

That is where I'm going to leave my recap as well as introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is something that I realized about this year's Nightmares Film Festival. Vloggers and social media play a big part into the movies shown. It makes sense since most of these were made during the pandemic and this phenomenon is even more important in today's world. What they do here adds another layer that Jess has issues with boundaries in filming people without their knowledge. She doesn't like it when it is done to her so we are seeing hypocrisy. There is also a moral dilemma of knowing something that makes you more popular and doing the right thing.

With that out of the way, most of this is a two person show of Jess and Tom. I want to start with her as our victim. I've already laid out that she has issues with boundaries when it comes to filming others without permission. She doesn't see anything wrong with that when it benefits her. I don't hate her though. She seems to be closer to my age so she isn't as obnoxious. I can appreciate that. Another commentary I see with her is ignoring 'red flags'. She knows that going back to Tom's place isn't a good idea. They just met. The money is a driving factor and that is real. I even like that she uses her sexuality as a weapon. I'm glad that it isn't looked down on here. She's using what she can. That's not to say something later in this makes her look bad for using what she must to survive.

Where I want to go then next will be Tom. He is a 'Ted Bundy' like guy in that he's good looking and charming. That lures Jess back. I wouldn't necessarily say he's the 'guy next door', but that is the cliche this is rolling with. What is interesting with him is the reveal of things as this goes on. All I'm going say is that we get some 'dark web' type stuff which I love and find terrifying.

Next should be the acting. I thought it was good across the board. I like Barker and Cook. How they play off each other is great. I like the push and pull where one will have the upper hand then the other. They have good on-screen chemistry which makes this work. Jones, Moses and the rest the cast are also solid to push them where they need to end up as well. I had no issues here with the acting.

Lastly should be the filmmaking aspects. I thought that the cinematography was good. We deal a bit with 'found footage' since we will go to cameras that are hidden or on someone. Jess has a pin as well as in glasses that have one. The house that Tom invites her back does as well. This adds a sense of realism that I enjoyed. There aren't a lot in the way of effects, but it also doesn't need them. The soundtrack was solid fine. It didn't necessarily stand out or take me away from what I was seeing.

In conclusion, this is a solid movie for what they're conveying. It wouldn't work if the performances from Barker and Cook weren't good. I think they play well off each other. The story gives an interesting look at social media, recording and how far people will go to be famous. It also a relevant look at ignoring red flags. This is a well-made to go along with that. Not everyone will consider this horror, but I think it is close enough to include here. I would also recommend giving this at least a viewing.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Influenced

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 15 August 2022]

Jess Peters (Dani Barker, who also wrote the film) is a struggling actress and livestreaming influencer who has been getting somewhat famous answering job listings from creepy men and then sneak filming and either revealing their behavior or kink shaming them.

Now, she's found a job that asks her to go to a remote cabin and co-write a script with Tom Brady (Luke Cook) - not the athlete - and playact as the two main characters in his psychosexual murder mystery. She finds herself attracted to him but plans on using this as content for her streaming channel. But what if she's someone else's content?

Originally known as Classified Killer, this is the full-length debut of director Sylvia Caminer. I really don't want to get much deeper into the twists and turns of the movie, except to say that the first one actually got me. This film gets more intense as it goes on and it totally took me for a ride. It works hard to get you to like Jess, who has a pretty unlikeable online character, and makes you wonder who is behind the people that you live vicariously through social media.

The Dark Side of Influencing

[cruttendenandstone · 7/10 · 4 June 2023]

A psychological thriller about the influencer culture and how much risk people will take to go viral and get those clicks. The main character tapes themselves and their unknowing counterparts in varying acts in order to get clicks. Just as her popularity starts to spike, she makes higher risk choices which lead to circumstances in which no one wants to be in. Is it worth the risks people take to become the next "it' person online. You've seen what other people have done to become popular online, what is the next step needed to garner even more attention? This movie provides one view on these questions.

Prepare Yourself for Sleep

[arfdawg-1 · 1/10 · 28 June 2023]

A forty something aspiring actress who lives in an opulent apartment she shouldnt be able to afford, hooks up with some mysterious nutcase and the fun begins.

I don't think this movie's exposition could have been any slower. It just rambles on, making no sense. The exterior scenes in NYC appear to have been shot during the pandemic because the streets are totally and completely empty during broad daylight. No people. No cars.

The rest is filmed somewhere on the suburban NY Hudson in some big house. The forty something actress is not attractive and the guy she hooks up with looks about 15 years younger and way out of her league so the coupling makes no sense.

Full disclosure -- about 30 minutes into this, I began fast forwarding because it was just dismal. Bad acting and no story. Plus, the forty somethig actress was really hard to look at.

And why someone thought dressing her like Annie Hall was a good thing, is beyond contemplation.

Surprisingly great

[meghancmacivor · 8/10 · 26 September 2023]

It's hard to find a genuinely good indie film sometimes, but Follow Her was a great time. Incredibly well-acted by both leads, and is perfectly tailored for the millennials and gen zs.

Takes some crazy twists and the ending is nuts.

Makes some good points about personal privacy in the Information Age where everyone is filmed at all times and people live their lives for the likes.

Creepy and suspenseful and at times incredibly funny.

Honestly I would've paid to see this in theatres it was way higher in quality than typical indie films. The ending was ambiguous which is my favourite kind of ending. WATCH IT.

Kind of works when other will not

[HorrorFilmHellion · 6/10 · 5 October 2023]

These social media-based horror flicks are a dime a dozen out there, and most of them are pretty bad. Also undesirable, is watching a movie where you have to sit and watch someone use social media or similar devices, like texting, streaming, or hacking. It can really be a dull and snoozy experience. With all that said, and all these potential stacks against being something good, this one does enough things right that it is actually quite a fun little romp through the genre. It doesn't spend too much time on any one concept, but its rotating plot devices are just there with good-enough acting, and you take it at face value, curious as to what comes next. We even get an outhouse scene, so of course I added a star for that. Couple of witless tropes work ok in this context (meet up with some unknown dude in the middle of the Blair Witch woods) The over-all message is again pointing out behavior that a social media lieutenant is willing to undertake for success or money, which can (and probably should) lead to their downfall.

Yeah, no I'll pass.

[kschesney · 1/10 · 22 December 2023]

The lead actress in this just isn't attractive or interesting enough for me to imagine her having a following whatsoever. Poor storyline & acting all around. All in all, it's a painful watch & time I'll never get back... The lead actress in this just isn't attractive or interesting enough for me to imagine her having a following whatsoever. Poor storyline & acting all around. All in all, it's a painful watch & time I'll never get back... The lead actress in this just isn't attractive or interesting enough for me to imagine her having a following whatsoever. Poor storyline & acting all around. All in all, it's a painful watch & time I'll never get back...

I love how ambivalent I am about this movie!

[yadaboy · 7/10 · 4 June 2023]

Part of me wants to rate it a 9. Another part of me wants to rate it a 5. The script needs several more polishing reviews, and I'm really wondering why they didn't do so. (The whole Dad & new young stepmom thing was SO cliche! And it added NOTHING to the film.) Still, it mostly delivered what I was hoping for - a twisted delight commenting on kinky social media struggles for more likes/views. Kudos to writer/star Dani Barker for a fascinating story and performance, but I can't help but wish she'd workshopped the draft screenplay more before filming this. Oh, my favorite scene: before she knows there are more folks in the house, we see a guy in black in the background. That was perfect!

Be careful what you wish for

[assefakia · 8/10 · 16 June 2023]

A modern thriller that takes you into the world of social media influencers. The double lives influencers live, that leads them into a world where nothing is what it seems. The logo of the social media platform "Live Hive" in the film is better than the social platforms we currently use. The film draws you into the characters world. It has a Hitchcockian vibe that keeps you engaged and keeps you guessing. The characters in this movie are intriguing because they are morally corrupt. This movie makes you question how far is to far when your whole existence is centered around likes and shares. Good Friday night movie.

It will surprise you (in a good way)

[Michael_Wotherspoon · 8/10 · 20 June 2023]

I have seen this film twice, and both time I caught something new. It seems straightforward and starts out that way, but after about twenty minutes, you'll realize that this movie has some great twists and turns. I don't want to spoil this film but there are some great questions that other films will ask but never have a pay off. Not only does this film propose some insightful comments on the social media culture but provides some direct opinions on how members of this community act (responsibly and irresponsily). Furthermore the actor who portrays Tom have an incredible range and talent. This film truly highlights his skill set and I can see him doing much bigger films in the near future! The actress portrays the vapidness of a social media influencer, perfectly. When you combine these the alchemy of the film really comes together! I felt that the Director did an amazing job making these performances shine! This is a great film to watch if you are in the mood for a great suspensful thriller. (It's not a slasher/horror film as some of the other reviewers might have confused it with, so a heads up on what to expect!). Overall, it's worth your time to check it out, I know you won't be disasspointed.

Twists and Turns Throughout

[dkoltermanjp · 9/10 · 4 June 2023]

Was thrilled to watch this on release weekend as part of a watch party with some of the creators of the film. I have been following this film since the beginning of production, so the suspense and anticipation had certainly built up and the film really delivered.

I knew the premise, but did not expect the multiple twists that were very effectively woven in throughout the film. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, there was yet another layer exposed.

The psychological elements of cat and mouse and the claustrophobic barn setting felt like a nod to 1982's Deathtrap and certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.

The entire production was very well done - great acting, music, and cinematography all brought the well-written story to life in a scary, but totally realistic, cautionary tale exploring the boundaries of the voyeuristic world we live in today.

"Sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead to the most chilling revelations."

[JBGreening · 10/10 · 7 June 2023]

Follow Her proves that originality and creativity can still thrive in thrillers. From start to finish, the narrative captivates audiences, constantly keeping them on the edge of their seats. The film's stunning cinematography further enhances the overall atmosphere and the ending takes the story in an unforeseen direction that lingers long after the credits roll. Credit must be given to the talented cast, led by the incredible Dani Barker, whose performance is nothing short of mesmerizing. With her enigmatic presence and ability to captivate the audience, Dani takes the character to new heights, keeping us guessing until the very end. Her delivery is flawless, injecting just the right amount of intensity and vulnerability into her role. Luke Cook's performance deserves special recognition as well. Portraying a very complex character, Luke brings a magnetic presence to the screen. His ability to seamlessly transition between charm and menace keeps the audience guessing, making his character all the more compelling. This film leaves a lasting impact, ensuring its place among the genre's best.

Super Creepy

[drakebank-1 · 10/10 · 8 June 2023]

I finally got a chance to see this movie since I'm a huge thriller fan. Everything in this film really delivered.

Wow. This movie glued me to my seat. Very, very disturbing thriller. I love thrillers and the film held my intention all the way to the end. Love the cast and the story. Very well made indie film (and feels like a blockbuster in my opinion). I want to see more films from this.

Thank you so much for sharing the experience with all of this. I want to recommend this movie to my friends. A perfect movie especially with the digital age with social media obsession. The message is like: if you carry it too far, it will lead to consequences.

A+!!!!

Fun, sexy, tighly wound thriller

[abelhorwitz · 9/10 · 11 June 2023]

A clever and tightly wound thriller commenting on today's social media-obsessed world. A fun, sexy cat-and-mouse game between two goregous people and a twist at every turn! This movie is a whole lot of fun to watch and the performances by the two leads are fascinating. "Follow Her" is a fun ride and well worth a watch.

I was lucky enough to catch this film at a horror movie festival last year in Los Angeles as it made the rounds, and didn't know what to expect going in. Two hours later I walked out with my head buzzing, trying to remember every single detail that I might have missed that built to a fascinating climax.

Check out this film! Ignore the haters! It's great!

Original story in a genre that needs it!

[joedelo-22662 · 10/10 · 16 June 2023]

Suspense films are soo... unsuspenseful. Not "follow her" though!

This is a unique story and I thought I knew where it was going, but then I didn't, but then I thought I did again, and again, I didn't. 10 stars for an original story in a sea of unoriginality. The plot was great and one of those films where you say to yourself.. how do people come up with this! It was so good.

Dani Barker is an amazing actress and we loved this film. Luke Cook was awesome and played that role a little too well.

As far as Indy films on a budget go, I was impressed. Wish more movies like this could get made.

Bring on the sequel!

An edgy psychological thriller capturing today's zeitgeist

[sgmacey · 9/10 · 4 June 2023]

Internet celebrity and the influencer culture. How far are people willing to go to make a name for themselves? For fame? This social media thriller is a dark comedy with lots of sexual tension between Tom (Luke Cook) and Jess (Dani Barker), plus a cool plot twist at the end you might not see coming. Is Tom a somewhat goofy guy with a severe dark side? Does Jess realize what she's getting into but is so focused on her Live Hive world she misses the clues? Gotta watch it. It's a female-led indie film so two enthusiastic thumbs up for that! Sylvia Caminer does an excellent job directing the cat-and-mouse madness. Music is terrific, including some original songs. Looking for a nice hit of adrenaline? Follow Her delivers.

The film highlights the current theme of stress caused by social networks

[IsabelPina_PT · 10/10 · 22 April 2022]

The film highlights the current theme of stress caused by social networks, bringing a new look and offering new solutions to solve difficult situations in the narrative, with two incredible twists.

Innovative screenplay with convincing lead actors about the dangerous and harmful side of social media. Good soundtrack.

Surprisingly Great Indie Film

[avingon · 8/10 · 19 July 2023]

The film was quite well done and Dani Barker's script and acting were both top notch. I'd love to see a sequel. Definitely worth a watch. The movie follows a rising social media star who sacrifices other people's privacy for views and attention. (Something that feels quite relevant in the current political environment.) things start to look up for her, and she receives a job helping write a screenplay that hits a little close to home. The film has a great ending, and begs the question of who the protagonist actually is. I would definitely watch a sequel if Ms. Barker and company continue the story.

Awesome! Loved it!

[shortiekhaye · 10/10 · 18 July 2023]

Follow her is an amazing film with a fresh and creepy take on how far social media can go in today's world. The storyline is well-written with some interesting plots and twists throughout. The actors, especially leading actress Dani Barker and Luke Cook do a great job portraying their characters. The cinematography is done really well! I quite enjoyed watching this film on the big screen as well as renting it at home with family and friends who all enjoyed it as well! I highly recommend everyone to watch this film! It is better than lots of films that are being put out there quite honestly. Looking forward to a sequel!