Follow Her (2023) Horror Review

It's about a social media star who is invited into a secluded cottage by a charming Australian man, who is not what he seems.

Follow Her was directed by Sylvia Caminer and stars Luke Cook (Eye Without a Face), Eliana Jones, Mark Moses (Fear), Dani Barker (ABCs of Death 2.5, The Scarehouse), and Sawandi Wilson.

Naturally, most horror fans can agree that the best genre films hit you where you live and get you thinking about the ways everyday life could slip sideways at a moment’s notice. That said, it should make sense that social media – love it or hate it – is part of that equation for better or worse.

As fun as TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram can be for killing a little time or showing off your vacation photos, users still open themselves up to dangers like stalking and privacy invasion every time they post. And there’s always the potential that something they’ve shared could get them in trouble professionally, socially, or otherwise.

That said, horror movies like those in the Unfriended franchise have addressed social media before. But Sylvia Caminer’s award-winning Follow Her promises to bring something new to the table. So far, the film has snagged 20 different awards while making the rounds at the film festivals. But does it actually deliver, or are you better off just queueing up Unfriended one more time?

Follow Her is the story of a young woman called Jess (Eliana Jones). Like lots of young creatives, Jess hopes to succeed as a writer someday, but in the meantime, she makes and uploads video content in exchange for social media likes and even a little cash.

Jess’s funny (but potentially embarrassing) videos cover the strange interactions she has with random people after responding to online ads they place. Usually, she obscures the strangers’ identities by blurring their faces. However, one day, a glitch causes this function to fail, revealing the person’s identity as a result.

But when the video proves to be extra popular for this reason, Jess elects to leave it up instead of taking it down once she realizes her mistake – a choice that will naturally come back to haunt her sooner rather than later. That comeuppance arrives in the form of an invitation to assist a fellow writer at his farmhouse – an invitation Jess accepts without a second thought, as she needs the money. And as you can imagine, that turns out to be a big mistake.

If it sounds like Follow Her is the type of film that plays out in an obvious way, you’re not wrong. It’s probably obvious to most viewers that Jess will eventually pay for not removing her video, as well as that it’s not a good idea to rush off to a secluded rural location to meet up with someone you don’t know.

However, it’s not an unpredictable plot that earned Follow Her all those awards. It’s the unique path Caminer takes (along with writer Dani Barker) to a destination every viewer sees coming a mile away. And even once you hit the big reveal, it’s still not quite in line with what you likely anticipated.

Caminer and company also keep the film interesting by not really giving you a true protagonist. Naturally, no one watching wants to see anything awful happen to Jess, but it’s still pretty hard to root for someone who’s fine with humiliating and mocking other people to make a buck. This helps move (or even eliminate) the audience’s emotional center to the tune of interesting results.

All in all, there’s a lot to like about Follow Her. It’s intense, entertaining, and does a great job building up the type of tension and suspense that make films like this work. Plus, both Eliana Jones and Luke Cook shine in the lead roles of Jess and Tom, respectively. It’s also hard to deny that the ending is interesting and satisfying.

Worth Watching?

But whether or not Follow Her has the potential to go down in horror history as a new classic is debatable, as the way it all plays out doesn’t lend itself well to multiple rewatches. Still, this is an entertaining film that deserves its accolades and will surely keep you entertained. It’s definitely worth checking out for yourself the next time you’re in the mood for something new. Don’t miss it!

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