Horror Movie Review: #Followme (2019)

Another day, another found footage horror. Another that tries to warn about the dangers of social media as is the current trend.

While I do appreciate the attempt to move with modern times, the rise of hashtags and vlogs, it doesn’t stop a movie like #Followme being one of the most frustrating watches in a long time. It tries so hard to be ‘real’ that it starts to trip over its own feet before face-planting as hard as possible. We’re talking busted nose, black eyes, and chipped teeth…that kind of face-plant. Where your sympathy for it overrides everything else.

Prepare for familiarity as the movie opens with ominous sound effects and text on the screen. It details how many people go missing from the UK every year (a sobering statistic) and how some are just never found. It then focuses specifically on three British women who disappeared while on a road-trip in America. They have not been found but their camera has been…this is the footage we’re about to see. Yawn…

Our three women are best friends and three of the most annoying characters I’ve had the misfortune of watching for some time. Seriously, after hearing them call each other ‘babe’ for the 100th time I found myself cheering on the killer.

Sophie (Kara Kingsward-Hughes) is a prominent YouTuber and planning to attend a convention. Along with her two friends Jessica (Scarlett Davies) and Lisa (Maria Louis) they make a whole holiday out of it.

Of course cue lots and lots of footage of them having a good time, meeting boys, getting drunk and talking. It’s so boring and does not constitute character development. In fact by time the women realise a mysterious figure is tracking them we know absolutely nothing about them.

The actresses don’t seem like real characters and their dialogue is very clunky at times. Realistic? Not when they’re speaking!

Of course this means their perilous situation has about as much impact as a pebble thrown in the sea. Mysterious notes, odd behaviour from some people they meet and a big friendship breaking reveal in the final third is what passes for plot here. Who cares?

The movie then ends abruptly and that is it. Everyone who sees this will feel worse off for it. It’s not the worst found footage horror but it’s not far off. It’s just so pointless that it’s not worth anyone’s time.