The Follower

Mary is a devoted wife and mother who strives to do her best with the cards she is dealt. With a teenage pregnancy that led to her never pursuing a college degree, she now raises her daughter, Annie, with the hope of providing her with all the opportunities she never had. However, the biggest obstacle to her dreams and plans is someone closest to Mary’s heart. By portraying all of this for the viewer, the film introduces us to a terrible reality defined by domestic abuse and oppressive familial control.

At the heart of this loving and soft mother-daughter equation rests a cruel force in the form of the man of the household, John, who has vastly different plans for his daughter and far more terrible ways of achieving them. By giving us a quick glimpse into this realm of violence, dismissal of individual agency and voice, the narrative conjures a story that makes the viewer pause and truly pay attention.

The film presents a world where fear becomes an all-pervasive force to exercise the said control, but also one where the eventual falling pieces carry within a formidable sense of hope. Though a few rough edges remain in terms of narratorial progression, the storytelling, performances, and the intent behind it all make it easy to overlook them. At the film's conclusion rests a crucial story of violence, survival, and resilience.