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Drama thriller

Following (1999): Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Following (1999) movie poster

Following is a 1999 drama thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. It runs 1 hour 9 minutes and earned $126,052 worldwide on a $6,000 budget. Critics gave it 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 60 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.

IMDb rating
7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes
83%
worldwide gross
$126.1K
Metascore
60
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Following (1999) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 9m (69 min)
Genres
Drama , Mystery , Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
Budget
$6K
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Following About?

The premise of Following without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A frustrated writer becomes obsessed with following strangers, hoping to understand their lives. His pursuit leads him into a complex relationship with a charismatic thief, blurring the boundaries between observer and participant. The writer’s actions unravel a disturbing world, revealing the darker aspects of human nature and the potential for destructive consequences as his own life spirals out of control.

Following Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • writer
  • burglar
  • nonlinear timeline
  • robbery
  • burglary
  • manipulation
  • framed for murder
  • plot twist
  • following someone
  • smashing someone's skull
  • dunkin' donuts
  • credit card
+38 more
  • surprise ending
  • homophobic slur
  • gay slur
  • looking at oneself in a mirror
  • stalker
  • con man
  • cover up
  • patsy
  • fall guy
  • con game
  • jealous lover
  • loser
  • loner
  • introvert
  • slow motion scene
  • postmodern
  • gloves
  • hammer as weapon
  • killed with a hammer
  • stranger
  • london england
  • photograph
  • bar
  • hammer
  • directorial debut
  • cutting one's own hair
  • spinet piano
  • playing piano
  • passionate kiss
  • practical joke
  • smashing someone's fingers
  • pianist
  • piano
  • rubber gloves
  • telephone call
  • slapped in the face
  • cafe
  • boredom
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Crew

The Director of Following

Directed by Christopher Nolan.

From the director

More from Christopher Nolan

More films directed by Christopher Nolan, best-rated first: The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, Memento and Inception.

Full filmography
Ratings

Following Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Following 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 60 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.

Plot

Following Plot Summary

What happens in Following from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A desperate and unemployed young writer, known simply as “The Young Man,” seeks inspiration for his debut novel by shadowing strangers through the bustling streets of London. Initially, he establishes strict rules about whom to follow and for how long, but his resolve quickly evaporates as he becomes captivated by a sophisticated and handsome man dressed in a dark suit. This man, who notices he is being pursued, confronts the Young Man and introduces himself as Cobb. Revealing his identity as a serial burglar, Cobb invites the Young Man, who goes by “Bill,” to join him on a series of burglaries.

Full summary

The whole story of Following, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Following Box Office & Budget

Following grossed $126,052 worldwide on a $6,000 budget, 21 times what it cost. $48,482 came from the US and Canada and $77,570 (62%) from the rest of the world.

1999 box office

Worldwide gross

$126.1K

21× its budget

US & Canada
$48.5K
International
$77.6K
Budget
$6K
US & Canada 38% Rest of the world 62%
Videos

Following Trailers & Videos

5 videos: 2 trailers, 1 clip and 2 featurettes.

Original Trailer
  • Trailer Following | Modern Trailer
  • Clip How It Began
  • Featurette Interview with Christopher Nolan
  • Featurette Q&A with Jeremy Theobald and Lucy Russell
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Following?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What does The Young Man initially do to seek inspiration?

Cars

Cars in Following

9 cars on screen, including the 1994 Audi RS2 Avant B4 and the 1997 Ducati Monster 900.

All 9 cars
  • 1994 Audi RS2 Avant B4 in Following 1994 Audi RS2 Avant B4 Background role
  • 1997 Ducati Monster 900 in Following 1997 Ducati Monster 900 Background role
  • 1985 Fiat Panda in Following 1985 Fiat Panda Background role
  • 1987 Ford Orion MkII in Following 1987 Ford Orion MkII Background role
Details

Following Also Known As

23 alternative titles, including “Követés” and “Praćenje”.

Also known as
  • Követés
  • Praćenje
  • Urmăritorul
  • Takip
  • Following : le suiveur
  • Преследование
  • 追随
  • Sledování
  • تعقیب
  • A Csapda
  • フォロウィング
  • לעקוב
+11 more
  • Η Παρακολούθηση
  • Переслідування
  • Следенето
  • Śledząc
  • 미행
  • 跟蹤
  • 追隨
  • แกะรอยอาชญากรซ่อนเขี้ยว
  • Le Suiveur
  • El seguidor
  • Cặp Bài Trùng

Seen Following?

FAQ

Following FAQ: Box Office, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Following, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Following?

Following runs 1 hour 9 minutes (69 minutes).

When was Following released?

Following was released on April 2, 1999.

Who directed Following?

Following was directed by Christopher Nolan.

More films by Christopher Nolan

How much did Following make at the box office?

Following grossed $126,052 worldwide ($48,482 domestic, $77,570 international) on a budget of $6,000.

How is Following rated?

Following has 7.4/10 on IMDb, 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, 60 on Metacritic and 71% on TMDB.

Does Following have a post-credit scene?

No. Following has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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