Following may not be the most popular movies of Christopher Nolan’s career, but filmmaker Ryan Coogler highlighted it as one that everyone should watch. Following was actually Nolan’s first movie as a director, made two years before the filmmaker established himself as a new talent in the business with his breakout movie Memento.
The black-and-white indie film is the story of a young man who follows strangers around London only for his hobby to get him dragged into a criminal world. The movie is rather simple and small-scale in relation to Nolan’s ambitious blockbusters that came out in the wake of his success with The Dark Knight trilogy.
However, Following earned high praise from Coogler, who recommended it as one of his favorites during his segment on Criterion Closet. With Nolan’s work being so mᴀssive and impactful, it is interesting for Coogler to point to his early work and make it even more of a must-watch for Nolan fans.
Following Features A Lot Of Christopher Nolan Trademarks
The Indie Thriller Was An Early Indicator Of Nolan’s Filmmaking Voice
Following was made on a very low budget and took over a year to complete, since Christopher Nolan and the team he ᴀssembled had to work regular jobs during the week in order to be able to film on the weekend. However, despite its modest size, it is interesting to look back on the project as showcasing a lot of the trademarks of Nolan movies.
Time in Nolan movies has become a big theme, with many of his films using non-linear storytelling. This is also reflected in Following, as it reveals new details by jumping back and forth in the story.
While the movie might not deliver the same sweeping scale Nolan has become known for, it is a perfect movie to see him building his filmmaking voice.
The ending of Following specifically feels like a classic Nolan ending. The filmmaker loves to wrap up his movies with a fast-paced montage of moments with various characters from the movie. Oppenheimer ends with the conversation between Oppenheimer and Einstein intercut with Oppenheimer’s own visions of the future and what his actions wrought. The Dark Knight ends with Gordon’s iconic monologue mixed with various characters dealing with the complicated legacy of Batman.
Likewise, the Following ending intercuts between the police interview, which has served as the framing device for the entire story, and the reveal of the twist that has been building throughout the story. As a sign of Following being a lesser-known Nolan movie, the filmmaker even reused the name of the film’s main character, Cobb, when naming Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Inception.
While the movie might not deliver the same sweeping scale Nolan has become known for, it is a perfect project to see him building his filmmaking voice.
Ryan Coogler Also Called Christopher Nolan One Of His Mentors
Coogler And Nolan Shared Similar Journeys As Filmmakers
Along with praising Following, Ryan Coogler used this time in the Criterion Closet to call Christopher Nolan one of his mentors in the business. Coogler hailed Nolan and his wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, as “lovers of cinema.“
Coogler explains that getting to know Nolan over the years led to a relationship in which he can turn to the more established filmmaker for advice. He has also identified other filmmakers like Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino as influencing his work.
It is not hard to see a connection between Nolan and Coogler as filmmakers. While they have made distinct movies in their own ways, they have followed similar paths. Like Nolan with Following and Memento, Coogler’s early indie work in Fruitvale Station led to him getting recognized by Hollywood.
Coogler’s work in Creed led to him entertaining the superhero world in Black Panther. However, as with Nolan’s Inception coming after the success of The Dark Knight, Coogler showed he can deliver mainstream hits from original and deeply personal stories with Sinners.
Coogler’s journey, reflecting Nolan’s own path to becoming a modern filmmaking master, makes it all the more exciting to see where Coogler will end up. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that the filmmaker who made Following would one day helm something on the scale of Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey.
