TV SERIES REVIEW: THE FOLLOWING SEASON 2




* * * *

TV is not what it used to be and the level of violence allowed on the small screen has increased dramatically. But THE FOLLOWING takes us on a whole different gory level with bodies piling up by the dozen with each new episode.

But there’s another creepy thing about THE FOLLOWING. It is how normal it treats the killers. In a way it is soap opera for psychopaths. It is not trying to understand them, but instead offering us a daily routine of the crazies. They befriend each other, fall in love and break up, go shopping and cook dinner - all just like us “the normal” people.

For those who had not seen the first season the premise is a simple one - a good cop Ryan Hardy is trying to catch charismatic leader of the serial killers cult - Joe Carol (names Hardy and Carol are of course references to the classic literature).

Joe Carol had died in the end of the first season and the biggest twist this year around is to introduce us to a new threat. Is Joe’s cult still alive? And Joe himself? Did he fake his death?

The answer would be an eminent spoiler, and the unexpected twists are all that THE FOLLOWING is about. Sometimes it even feels it is trying too hard and a single episode seems to be so overloaded with cutting, slashing and betrayals that it seems pushing the envelope even for those who abandoned their hopes to see something believable on screen.

But there’s one thing THE FOLLOWING does well - it’s entertaining. It will definitely give you your weekly fix of adrenalin wether you are hardcore horror fan as myself or a novice to the genre. The key episodes were written by the creator of the series Kevin Williamson himself (the man behind the SCREAM franchise). The man’s writing is good, however he does recycle the characters from his previous works - the ambitions journo Carrie Cooke is Gail Weathers from SCREAM reincarnated.

The series feature many “women in peril” episodes, put female protagonists and villains in THE FOLLOWING are strong fighters and can stand up for themselves at any time. The showdown between the two female leads closer to the end of the show is an absolute highlight and worth the time spent with them.


When so many shows coming up and being cancelled this year THE FOLLOWING had a weak start, but have build up if not to something new, but genuinely exciting.  It is inevitable that with the closure of so many story arcs in season two the third season will have to do something truly original to carry on, but will the fans want a big change? With Kevin Williamson writing the opening episode I trust no one will be disappointed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the f...
Read more

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - t...
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema...
Read more