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Christopher Nolan’s first movie is waiting to be rediscovered (and for free)
Polygon revisits Christopher Nolan's rarely discussed debut feature, 1998's *Following*, arguing that it deserves rediscovery and noting it can now be watched cheaply or for free. The piece frames Nolan's rise as unusually rapid — unlike most directors, he has almost no back catalogue, making *Following* the sole stepping stone before his 2000 breakthrough *Memento*. The film is currently available on AMC+ and free via the library streaming service Kanopy.
Shot in black-and-white on 16mm film, *Following* tells the story of Bill (Jeremy Theobald), an unemployed writer who takes to trailing strangers around London out of boredom, until one target, a burglar named Cobb (Alex Haw), draws him into a world of robbery. The article notes the film's noir sensibility, though it is filmed entirely in daylight because Nolan could not afford lights, giving it a more restrained, straightforward feel than his later, more surreal work. The writer suggests *Following* has been overshadowed by the fame of *Memento* and its famous twist, and reckons it stands as one of the last great shoestring-budget indies of the 1990s.
In short
- Nolan's 1998 debut *Following* is streaming free on Kanopy.
- Shot in black-and-white on 16mm, entirely in daylight for budget reasons.
- The film has been overshadowed by his breakthrough, *Memento*.
Explained simply
Christopher Nolan is one of the world's most acclaimed film directors, known for elaborate blockbusters with intricate plots. Unlike most successful directors, Nolan has virtually no body of early work — he made his debut with *Following* in 1998 and then jumped directly to *Memento* in 2000, which became his breakthrough hit. This makes *Following* the sole film that shows his creative origins before he achieved major success.
*Following* is a black-and-white crime film shot on a minimal budget in London. It follows an unemployed writer named Bill who spends his time trailing strangers through the city, until he becomes entangled with a burglar called Cobb and drawn into a world of robbery. Shot entirely in daylight (because Nolan could not afford lighting), the film has a restrained noir sensibility quite different from the elaborate visual style of his later work.
The film has been largely overshadowed by the much-publicised success of *Memento* and its famous twist ending. Recently, critics have argued that *Following* deserves renewed attention as one of the last great independently made films of the 1990s. It is now available to watch for free or at low cost through streaming services including Kanopy and AMC+.
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