Social media outlets should make the Justified Films May 1, 2018 DVD release of the horror film with comic overtones "Followers" required viewing for every self-absorbed narcissist who is the center of attention of their ventures on those outlets. This is from the perspective of someone who never has (and never will) make a YouTube video and who is guilty of only occasionally (and almost always briefly) including aspects of his personal life in reviews.
"Followers" walks in the footsteps of the original found-footage film "The Blair Witch Project;" the differences between the two films illustrates how things have changed in the roughly 20 years between the two films. "Witch" is a fictional tale of young filmmakers documenting their search for the titular evil entity; "Followers" consists of footage by essentially living Barbie and Ken dolls Brooke and Caleb and of the aspiring documentary filmmakers Nick and Jake, who are stalking the couple for fun and the potential for profit and fame. The nature of the film makes one wonder if Blake Jenner was unavailable to play Caleb.
The following YouTube clip of a trailer for "Followers" highlights the above and ends on a very apt note.
The film opens with alternating scenes of the fitness/lifestyle videos of Brooke and Caleb. We then see how the compatibility that these presentations indicate leads to a match made in Tampa. The extent to which a viewer thinks that this pair is made for each other rather than that they deserve each other is a good indicator of age.
The action soon fast forwards a year as the now apparently living in sin couple (who seemingly believe that every moment of their lives is worthy of videoing) are preparing for a camping trip that many audience members eagerly await concluding with them being gator chow. One potential spoiler as that both of our "stars" having heads full of stuffin' make them immune from attacks by the walking dead.
This POV continues through the "Deliverance" style encounters, other unsettling events, and copious whining that continue up until the next day when Miami Barbie and Ken find themselves at the mercy of a Jason wannabe.
The creative narrative then shifts to several days earlier. The POV is now on our aspiring Morgan Spurlocks, who are video recording their discussion about making a documentary showing the ease with which one can track down social media "stars." The rest of the story is a plan to make their point of the danger that this poses by filming them having Caleb and Brooke fear for their lives at the hands of such stalkers.
Roughly the next 30 minutes documents the boys first learning where Ken and Barbie live and repeatedly getting very close to them while the couple is even more oblivious than normal. This involves showing incidents from the first 30 minutes of the film from the POV of Nick and Jake.
This second portion of "Followers" takes us a couple of minutes beyond Caleb and Brooek eating dirt, which has potential for a twist. The biggest surprise comes next when the fun really begins. This leads to some bloodletting and the (temporary?) survivors fleeing through the woods of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
One spoiler is that it is not surprising either that old habits die hard nor that the unambiguous monster of the film is smarter than the prey.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Followers" is encouraged to email me. You also can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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