Falcon747
NETFLIX and Ninagawa Mika hit it out of the park on this one. A short 9-episode feature, Followers as a series felt like it was one long beautiful movie.
Movie comprehension and symbolism play a big part in this series, something that those who liked older 90s and early 00s movies on passionate slice of life tales would immediately be able to pinpoint. You'll discover that in Followers, it is not just the dialogue being spoken that's important, but even their surroundings and the context of how they're acting in certain scenes.
If you're familiar with Quentin Tarantino films, you'll find this series very similar to how a lot of his past films are done - from the different uses of POV (point of view), to close up and birds eye scenes, to even the following and tracking shots. The series itself is sort of like an ode to the filmmaker's works, but the good thing about it is they made it work to its potential while subtly thanking the director throughout the whole run.
Ninagawa Mika's aesthetically pleasing play on colors have made each episode such a delight to watch, you'll wonder if you're still watching or been transported to another dimension while glued to your screen. The way each scene inside the series was carefully color graded to showcase different ranges of emotion, is one thing that should truly be applauded. Even the subtle touches of changing surroundings to depict the change in each character's disposition in their life were not to be missed. Everything inside Followers' cinematography and set design were well thought of, and well crafted.
In terms of storyline, this is where it could have been given better treatment - we see that the shift in the characters' lives wasn't gradual but more rushed to meet the 9-episode deadline. Although a dragged pace for this series was also not a good choice, viewers in my opinion could have been treated to a better stretch of the storyline to expound on each character's individual stories. The series' theme centering around moving forward in one's life was conveyed in different stances, all that could have benefited from a deeper context should they have decided to lengthen the episodes a bit more.
Over-all, I would definitely say one should give Followers a watch, as it's worth binge-watching even until the wee hours of the morning. Be there to follow each of the colorful lives the characters live, and step into their world that's peppered with the current problems of a digital-savvy society.
Oh, and close the door when you watch, there are some scenes better watched alone ;)
Movie comprehension and symbolism play a big part in this series, something that those who liked older 90s and early 00s movies on passionate slice of life tales would immediately be able to pinpoint. You'll discover that in Followers, it is not just the dialogue being spoken that's important, but even their surroundings and the context of how they're acting in certain scenes.
If you're familiar with Quentin Tarantino films, you'll find this series very similar to how a lot of his past films are done - from the different uses of POV (point of view), to close up and birds eye scenes, to even the following and tracking shots. The series itself is sort of like an ode to the filmmaker's works, but the good thing about it is they made it work to its potential while subtly thanking the director throughout the whole run.
Ninagawa Mika's aesthetically pleasing play on colors have made each episode such a delight to watch, you'll wonder if you're still watching or been transported to another dimension while glued to your screen. The way each scene inside the series was carefully color graded to showcase different ranges of emotion, is one thing that should truly be applauded. Even the subtle touches of changing surroundings to depict the change in each character's disposition in their life were not to be missed. Everything inside Followers' cinematography and set design were well thought of, and well crafted.
In terms of storyline, this is where it could have been given better treatment - we see that the shift in the characters' lives wasn't gradual but more rushed to meet the 9-episode deadline. Although a dragged pace for this series was also not a good choice, viewers in my opinion could have been treated to a better stretch of the storyline to expound on each character's individual stories. The series' theme centering around moving forward in one's life was conveyed in different stances, all that could have benefited from a deeper context should they have decided to lengthen the episodes a bit more.
Over-all, I would definitely say one should give Followers a watch, as it's worth binge-watching even until the wee hours of the morning. Be there to follow each of the colorful lives the characters live, and step into their world that's peppered with the current problems of a digital-savvy society.
Oh, and close the door when you watch, there are some scenes better watched alone ;)
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