PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The first short I took on for Cinepocalypse was The Follower. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as all I had to go on was the title. I usually go into movies pretty blind as I’m afraid of spoilers, whether they come in the description or the trailer. With a title like this, I was assuming it would be some sort of stalker short but was pleasantly surprised when I was mistaken. So, what is The Follower about? Don’t worry… there’s no spoilers here!
The Follower was written and directed by Stephanie Szerlip (Clara’s Ghost 2018), produced by Sarah Winshall (Clara’s Ghost 2018), with Sean Price Williams (One Man Dies A Million Times 2019) as the DoP. The production design was created by Natalie Fält (Dysphoria 2018), while the original score was composed by James Ferraro (Rapture Adrenaline 2009). The film is based on the short story by Joyce Carol Oates called, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” which follows a young teen by the name of Sophie (Logan Polish: Margo 2019) who, like many teens nowadays, has a fixation with gaining Instagram fame. When she gets grounded after posting a photo, she is left at home when he parents go to a BBQ. While she sunbathes, two young men (Jack Kilmer: The Stanford Prison Experiment 2015, Ernis Hadzajlic: Alijah TV series) pull up in a beaten up police car.
Thoughts:
I personally really enjoyed The Follower. The cinematography is beautiful, and even little details such as the costume design were great. One of the few scenes that really stood out for me was the one where she’s sunbathing… something about it reminds me of the 1993 film, The Crush. I absolutely loved it. If you have the chance to see The Follower, I suggest you check it out. Its runtime is around 12 minutes with credits, and is absolutely worth the time.
