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

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

Polygon · 1 month ago

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.

  • 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*.

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