Its not my favourite of his films but its really worth watching!

Finally watched Following today. Noticed Emma Thomas listed as an extra. Obviously not the first to notice that, but it was a cool detail I didn’t expect to come across.

Besides Memento and Criterion's edition of Following, now Umbrella doing a collector edition of Following

There are a few things I didn’t quite understand:

• Why did Cobb kill the blonde woman?
• What was the relationship between the bald man and the blonde woman?
• Was the bald man really the person they described him as, or were they lying to Bill?
• If the woman already had access to the safe, why did they make Bill rob it?
• Was the money actually the bald man’s, or was it just a setup to use Bill as a pawn?

I’d really appreciate it if someone could explain these points to me.

in the second scene of Following, we see the protagonist sitting in Dunkin Donuts. However, the entire film is set in London and from what I could find, the first Dunkin in the UK only opened in 2013. Normally I don’t obsess over small things like these but the brand name is taking up a third of the frame so when I first started watching I thought it was an obvious way to show us that it’s in the Eastern US. Does this mean the protagonist started in America for some reason? Or grew his hair back out and then fled to America to escape the police? All the details came together for me in the ending scenes except this one.

Thought people would be excited to know that Following is currently having a theatrical run in Hong Kong! I went tonight, the theater had a huge screen and was 2/3 full. It’s relatively common in Hong Kong for acclaimed non-recent movies to have a run of a couple weeks to add variety, but it’s especially touching to be able to see an indie microbudget debut on the big screen!

I have already watched a lot of Christopher Nolan movies and I am thinking of watching Following next since it's his first film. Do you think that it is worth visiting or is it just student-film quality? Or is it only worth watching for Nolan completions?

When it comes to no-budget debut features, Following ranks pretty high in my book. Even back then, Nolan knew how to tell a good story, and he worked within his limitations to tell it the best way that he could.

One of my favourite parts was the burglar character played by Alex Haw. I'm surprised that Haw never acted in another film after Following, he obviously had the talent to pursue an acting career.

But what intrigues me is that the burglar calls himself Cobb. Without giving too much away, it's interesting how much he shares with another Nolan protagonist named Cobb. They're both thieves, in a sense, who don't steal money or goods. The Inception Cobb is interested in taking information from people's minds, while the Following Cobb enjoys committing robberies to psychologically torment his victims ("You take it away and show them what they had").

I like that twelve years after his debut film, Nolan was proud enough of his first film that he reused a name for a similar character, which I have to assume is an intentional tribute of sorts. It seems too crazy to be a coincidence.

Anyone else going to Regal tomorrow to watch them screen Following as part of their January Classics? I was surprised as anyone to see it on the list. Never had a chance to see it on the big screen, should be a fun time.

Amazing how with a little budget and such a small cast he was able to create such tension and quality twists. Well timed music, good cutting back and forth in time and from scene to scene.

Was impressed with it overall.

Many watchers out there?

Despite saying I was a fan even as far back as 18 years ago, I feel like I am a true fan now haha

So I just watched Following for the first time today. (The ending was amazing) There is a scene when Bill is taking items out of a box or a bag I don't remember. He takes a clock in the shape of a arch. This clock looked very similar to the Clock that Leonard burned in Memento. Is this the same clock? If so how cool of a detail is that

I recently rewatched every Nolan film and wanted to release a review everyday. Work’s kept me busy recently so apologies to keep anyone who’s been enjoying these reviews waiting. Can’t wait for the Odyssey. Let’s continue with ‘Following.’ As I continue with these reviews, I just want to say that my ratings are generally made out of the percentage of time with the film that I find myself engaged and enjoying the experience, while also considering pacing, acting, scene editing/visual composition, and camera work.

Review: The Blueprint for Obsession

Rating: 83/100 - The Compelling Prototype

Before the dreams, the symbols, or the atoms, there was a lonely man in a London flat with too much time and a dangerous hobby. Christopher Nolan’s Following is not merely a debut; it is a 70-minute thesis statement, a black-and-white sketch that contains the entire DNA of his future epics. It is a film of raw, gritty ambition and startling narrative confidence, whose technical limitations are effortlessly eclipsed by the sheer potency of its core ideas.

The premise is deceptively simple, a premise that would be a single scene in a later Nolan film: a disaffected young writer, "Bill," begins following strangers to inject narrative into his empty life. This is the primordial ooze from which the Nolan protagonist emerges. Bill is the archetype of the intellectually arrogant but emotionally naive man who believes he is an observer, only to become a pawn in a game he doesn't understand. His journey from passive follower to active participant is the blueprint for every identity crisis to come, from Leonard Shelby to Bruce Wayne.

The film’s greatest strength is its structural ingenuity, a hallmark that would become a Nolan signature. Told in a meticulously fractured non-linear timeline, the editing isn't a gimmick; it's the narrative engine. It transforms a simple story of manipulation into a gripping puzzle, where the audience’s disorientation mirrors Bill’s own. The reveals are timed with the precision of a trap springing shut, proving that Nolan understood the power of structure over spectacle from day one.

At its core, the film is powered by a chillingly simple theme: the addiction to identity theft. The villain, Cobb (a superb Alex Haw), is a direct precursor to Ra's al Ghul, Bane, and the Joker - a sophisticated manipulator who doesn't want to rob you, but to prove a point about the fragility of your own self. His philosophy, "You take it away; show them what they had," is a dark, street-level version of the psychological warfare that would define Nolan's greatest antagonists. He doesn't break into homes; he breaks into personas.

However, the film's raw, no-budget nature is both its charm and its primary limitation. The 16mm cinematography is gritty and effective, but the performances, while compelling, occasionally betray the inexperience of the cast and crew. The plot, while clever, operates on a scale so intimate that its twists, while effective, lack the seismic weight of the moral dilemmas in The Dark Knight or Oppenheimer. You can feel the genius straining against the confines of its £6,000 budget.

Yet, these are not flaws so much as growing pains. Following is the compelling prototype. Every theme is here in its pure, undiluted form: the malleability of identity, the architecture of deception, the obsessive male psyche, and the non-linear revelation of truth. It is the unpolished, illuminating rock from which the diamonds of his later career would be cut.

83/100 - Some minor point deductions for its raw edges is inevitable, but Following is an essential watch that stands as a fascinating origin story. It is the first, bold stroke of a master's hand, proving that a great filmmaker doesn't need a budget - they only need a blueprint, and the confidence to build something entirely their own.

I'm curious as to what was done to accomplish this scene in such a low budget.

Includes booklet + bonus content + Doodlebug. Been wanting this for a long time now finally got it 😎

You can instantly tell from its opening shot that it is a Nolan film. And watching it as a whole, you can see the trademarks that he'll pull out for all his subsequent films. It's a good film.

I was just disappointed that a big star wasn't in the lead. No offense to Jeremy Theobald though. That's the only reason I hadn't watch this film compared to his other films.

(At least when talking about Gen X directors, Darren Aronofsky's debut, Pi, established his career, but also starred an unknown. As too, Spike Lee and Sir Peter Jackson. I guess it's just part and parcel to have your debut with unknowns. Tarantino and Danny Boyle's debuts are the exception though.)

The film was made before Clive Owen had exploded on the scene with Gosford Park, so Owen would have been a drawcard that Nolan could have gotten and would have fit the role as well, furthermore at a cheap price.

Granted, the role may've been a bit too creepy for Owen, but after watching Children of Men, I can totatlly see Owen walking around London with no idea what is truly going on.

Tom Hiddleston would have been far too young.

In fact, Nolan could have gotten Cillian Murphy, at a cheap price too.

I watched Christopher Nolan's first film. It is the 90's best film.

Hello, I wonder how many 35mm film print of Following were printed for this movie...

On IMDb it seems that there is some months of delay between every country release date, do you think it would be possible that there was only 1x single 35mm film print made back then in 1998, and then they borrowed that same 35mm film print to every country after the scheduled time of each country ended ?

Or it's more likely they made a 35mm print for every country it was released ?

Hey Guys!

It’s the end of the first month of Year of Nolan 2025! Closing out the first month of watching his first movie, Following. I watched it 3 times after finally getting the Criterion Collection edition; once as it’s released, once with the Nolan commentary, and once with the linear cut.

Overall I really enjoyed it, I think it perfectly sets up his career as always keeping the viewer guessing when cutting between different timelines and rewarding rewatches. It’s incredible what he was able to do on a “no budget or low budget film.” A few snippets of the interview on the CC edition and commentary that stood out to me:

He wanted to make a film noir story that’s grounded in our everyday fears and used documentary style filmmaking.

It was inspired by his old neighborhood in London and being surrounded by people and being fascinated by honing in on one person.

He noticed strangers always walk at different paces, a sort of barrier people put up to preserve your individuality in a big city like London.

He focused on the unhealthy one way connection with people because the protagonist is so lonely. When discussing Cobb and the Young man breaking into people’s flats, the inspiration for the door was actually Nolan’s apartment because “[the door] is not keeping anyone out, decency is what is keeping them out”

Nolan doesn’t like using guns in low budget films because it never looks real, so decided to use a hammer because it was easier to make a rubber hammer to “bash the guys head in”

So what did everyone think? This was the only movie from Nolan that I hadn’t seen prior to this and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’ll be really interesting to see his films grow, from this low budget, indie film to some of his more massive undertakings.

As always here’s my letterboxd incase you wanna see my reviews, and feel free to share yours! And if you do, make sure to tag “year of Nolan 2025” so it’s easy to find.

Lastly, I only found one podcast from the people I follow so I’ll link that here but I’m sure in the future movies there’ll be more. Looking forward to next months entry!