# Christopher Nolan’s first movie is waiting to be rediscovered (and for free)

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/christopher-nolans-first-movie-is-waiting-to-be-rediscovered-and-for-free/
- Published: 2026-07-12T21:00:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-12T22:13:24+00:00
- Original publisher: Polygon
- Original article: https://www.polygon.com/christopher-nolan-debut-film-following-streaming-free/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film, Trending, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- 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*.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.