Christopher Nolan's 1998 Debut Film Following is Worth a Watch, and It's Free on Streaming
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Christopher Nolan's 1998 debut feature film, Following, offers a fascinating look at the director's early style and is currently available to stream for free via Kanopy.
Most modern blockbuster directors spend years cutting their teeth on commercials or television before hitting the big time, leaving a massive backlog of early projects for curious fans to explore. Christopher Nolan stands as a rare exception. Following his breakout success with 2000's Memento, viewers looking to study his origins face a very short list. Before tackling mega-budget tentpoles and rewriting modern cinema, Nolan launched his career with a micro-budget 1998 feature called Following, which serves as a fascinating blueprint for the nonlinear storytelling and psychological tension that would later define his filmography.
Originally reported by Thomas Hindmarch at Polygon, the film follows an unemployed London writer who starts tailing random strangers just to pass the time, only to get pulled into the criminal underworld by a charismatic burglar named Cobb. Shot on 16mm black-and-white film over the course of a weekend with a shoestring budget, the movie possesses a gritty charm. Because the production could not afford professional lighting equipment, every scene takes place in broad daylight, turning traditional noir aesthetics on their head while still delivering plenty of suspense and signature narrative twists.
For players and cinephiles looking for something to watch between gaming sessions, the film is currently available to stream on AMC Plus and can be accessed entirely for free through the library streaming network Kanopy with a standard library card. Revisiting these grassroots projects offers a great look at how auteurs build their craft before getting the keys to Hollywood blockbusters. You can read the original feature over at Polygon.
Tags: Film, Christopher Nolan, Streaming, Culture, Polygon
Original article: Polygon