Followed

Saw it at a screening with friends and if you're a fan of found footage horror, or just looking for a fun movie to watch with friends, you've gotta give this a watch.

The movie does a great job of blasting the hell out of influencer culture and the toxicity that surrounds it. The lead character is impossible to like, which is the point, but really I just didn't care enough about anyone else. The entire thing could have been carried by the main character alone and you'd still end up with the same movie. It definitely has a good scare or three - his descent into a dark hotel basement is great - , but it's also unnecessarily convoluted, and the twist is pretty obvious. Even so, it's still a pretty well made, solid entry in its genre.

Antonie Le's feature film debut, 'Followed,' is definitely not the worst horror nor found footage film, although it's also very far from the best. It has a lot of great tension and some of the scenes are genuinely creepy. Unfortunately, the story and plot are a convoluted mess that never quite comes together enough by the end. It is trying to say something about internet celebrity and commerce, but it mostly falls back on clichés. The cast are pretty decent though the main character's obnoxious vlogger persona surpasses unlikeability and transcends loathing.

Overall I really enjoyed the locations they used. I'm a SoCal boy so I always have a biased on la movies with the history you can actually look up. The lead in this film was annoying but he was playing the typical YouTuber who wants fame. Ultimately the fate of the cast is in the air and we don't really get an explainer at the end. Nonetheless, I was in the zone looking for any little spooky stuff hidden in the film. Solid popcorn film. Not going to rewatch tho

About a ghost hunting vlogger offered a $250,000 sponsorship in exchange for a 3-night broadcast from a notoriously haunted hotel. Based on an actual hotel and events that transpired there. Ok, the cover (I got) has a devil, and a bound and gagged woman on the cover, neither of which appear in the movie. Oh, all sorts of strange things happen in this hotel, the crew loses its marbles, and ZERO of it is explained. It even has an ending that makes absolutely no sense. Acting gets REAL sketchy when they are tasked with being emotional. These filmmakers directly steal scenes and audio cues from Paranormal Activity. I really liked the idea of the "elevator game," and I am a sucker for both the paranormal and found footage. All that said, 4 stars for me.