Following

Following

Christopher Nolan's debut feature Following is a chilling, noir thriller which, while his greatest work was yet to come, holds up as a great film without having the rest of Nolan's work to hold it up. Being shot in a black-and-white only adds to the chilling vibe of the film. The film also features a Nolan-esque final twist (i.e., The Prestige, Interstellar) which is not as well done as his previous films but isn't too much of a letdown. The Prestige and Interstellar's twists worked because they are science fiction films which make viewers allow for some disbelief and doubt without questioning the final twist. Following fails because the tie-up of the man's framing is a bit too neat and unbelievable. In addition, this film features Nolan's signature out-of-sequence style prominent in The Prestige and Memento. While not as successful in captivating audiences as in these other pictures, Nolan does this extraordinarily well for a rookie director. One problem I had was with the fight sequences. These were poorly staged but some concessions can be given because this film was made on such a small budget. Nolan would later prove his ability to handle such scenes in the Dark Knight trilogy and Interstellar. While obviously showing some immaturity and inexperience, this a great film to watch because of its ability to show the roots of an amazing director while also standing as a great work on its own.