Christopher Nolan's directorial career, often described as meteoric, began with a film that is now available for rediscovery. Following, his 1998 debut, predates his breakout success with Memento and offers a glimpse into his early, unpolished style.
Unlike many filmmakers who spend years in relative obscurity working on commercials or low-budget projects, Nolan achieved significant recognition with his second film, Memento. His subsequent projects, including Insomnia and the blockbuster Batman Begins, solidified his status as a household name. For those looking to explore the origins of his distinctive cinematic voice, Following serves as the essential starting point.
The film centers on Bill, an unemployed writer in London who develops a peculiar habit of following strangers. His passive voyeurism takes a sharp turn when he is intercepted by Cobb, a professional burglar. Cobb, himself a kind of urban observer, draws Bill into the world of robbery, initiating a narrative where Bill quickly finds himself in over his head.
Shot in black-and-white on 16mm film, Following possesses a visual aesthetic that can initially mislead viewers into believing it is a much older film. Subtle details, such as the prevalence of CD theft, place it within its contemporary London setting. Nolan, constrained by a limited budget, famously could not afford lighting equipment, leading the film to be shot exclusively during the day. This lack of shadows imbues Following with a more straightforward feel compared to the surrealism and dark atmospherics of his later works, though it still echoes the narrative progression of classic film noir.
With its direct storytelling and focus on a protagonist whose curiosity leads him into a dangerous situation, Following presents a comparatively restrained approach from Nolan. The narrative suggests from its opening moments that Bill's journey will not end well, though the specifics remain unpredictable. It is speculated that Memento's immediate and profound impact, due to its complex narrative twist, overshadowed the recognition Following might otherwise have received as a significant independent film of the 1990s, standing alongside other notable microbudget debuts like Clerks and The Blair Witch Project.
For audiences familiar only with Nolan's historical epics or complex action thrillers, Following provides a look at a different, less-explored facet of his filmography. The film is currently accessible for free on the streaming service Kanopy, or through an AMC+ subscription.