Like it or not, social media influencers are some of the most successful and prominent celebrities today, with a considerable percentage earning millions of dollars from viewer revenue. While there are those who may regard this fact with disdain that a person could have such a lucrative career from merely filming and photographing themselves, there are just as many who idolize these public figures. No matter where you fall on this thought spectrum, it’s a no- brainer than anyone would aspire to make that kind of money. In Followers, a found-footage horror flick written and directed by Marcus Harben, the cost of trying to gain this kind of fame proves deadly for a group of college students.

Wannabe influencer Jonty (Harry Jarvis) will do anything to increase his followers and earn that coveted dough. When he ends up rooming with a group of fellow college students, he wastes no time in capturing their antics on film to distribute through his various social media channels. At first, this consists of him and roommates Amber (Erin Austen), Zauna (Loreece Harrison), and Pete (Daniel Cahill) engaging in typical drunken college behavior and hijinks. As a general rule, though, videos like these are a dime a dozen, and Joty’s viewership numbers reflect this. He needs more exciting, dramatic content, and he’ll do anything to obtain it.

As if right on cue, strange, unexplained events begin to occur in the house, and just so happen to be captured on film – thanks mostly to Jonty’s incessant need to record every second of his life. The occurrences start off unusual, but mostly harmless; cabinets opening and closing on their own, music playing randomly, and eerie images appearing on laptop screens. As the incidents increase in frequency and spookiness, Jonty’s numbers quickly begin to uptick. 

Though there are those who believe Jonty is responsible for it all, and simply staging the experiences for his own benefit, it soon becomes clear the household is dealing with something malevolent and threatening. As the haunting experiences begin to increase in both frequency and peril, the fight between capturing everything at all costs, and the risk to all of their lives comes to a head as they try in vain to determine what is going on.

It’s apparent that the goal of the filmmakers was to create a piece that is part social commentary and part satire, mixed with a typical haunted house horror setting for good measure. While the found footage style aids in the authenticity factor, it also hinders the movie from having any likable characters worth rooting for. Jonty comes across as a self-absorbed buffoon hell-bent on fame, while Amber is vain and vapid, and Pete an obnoxious alcoholic. The only character who ever seems to have their head on straight and show any kind of care and concern for others is aspiring documentarian Zauna, but even her presence isn’t enough to provide any substantial sympathy for the cast.

Maybe that’s the point. As previously stated, this is an undeniable narrative on social culture, covered in a veil of jump scares and ghostly images. This isn’t a story about unfortunate victims who find themselves embroiled in a haunting they can’t escape; these are eager participants who knowingly push the boundaries of their safety in the name of popularity. At least for a while. Slowly, they do begin to realize the turmoil they find themselves in…but is it too late?

From a production standpoint, the editing and cinematography play out like any other movie of its kind, with choppy, dizzying POVs and scene cuts. You can’t expect anything less from a story such as this one, though, so there’s not much to critique or fault in that category. Followers does throw in a few unique additions along the way to set itself apart, but overall, the intolerability and lack of development of the characters and general lag in plot make for a generic and forgettable watch.