Follow the Crows (2018) User Reviews

Review - I wanted more -

[muscleofthy · 6/10 · 5 February 2018]

Ok, here is my review for follow the crows.

Set in a world where civilisation has collapsed and everyone is just looking to survive by any means necessary.

Without trying to spoiling to much, I wanted more from this film by the time the credits rolled and you understand who everyone is, I wanted more back story, a five min clip of the "the gang" together. Why were the trappers making so many traps? Why was the guy from the fishing scene freaking out about one guy, what was he escaping that so awful from the city?

I wanted more from the "trappers" and the "fishing guys". Those two groups performance seemed stronger than the lead roles.

Lets talk about the lead roles. The male lead role had one monologue that tide the film together and was very well acted in that one scene. Had great heart.

The hunter was decent as he served to push on the plot, every scene he was in was to just push on the plot hardly any lines until the end which delivered the "twist". He did have one scene where he makes a wave at someone, makes a trade? what happened here? Would of added to his character if we understood the hunter more but I guess its was the director to make the hunter be the plot device that brings everyone together.

The lead actress if I am honest annoyed me at first but by the end of the film I grew to like her and ended up liking the connection she made with the lead actor in this cruel world.

I thought the run time was a little long as we had a far too many camp fire pieces that did nothing to the story.

Without spoiling too much I didn't hate this film I came out wanting more! I have seen a lot worse in my time. I just wanted more, I wanted a more connected film.

I have to hand it to the director he defiantly someone who I keeping my eye in the future. I hope him and the cast go to make some fantastic films.

Impessive debut

[rich-reeves · 7/10 · 23 July 2019]

Follow the Crows is a tongue in cheek homage to The Road, cleverly made on a shoestring budget, produced, written and directed by Marcus Starr and Alex Secker. Like The Road, it is set in the future post-apocalyptic society. a killer on a rampage all over the countryside, raggedy men and woman trying to survived outside the City or will they? It is a film simmer along with a surprising good ending. Look forward to both Starr/Secker next projects.

Good effort all round

[helenpain-53286 · 6/10 · 9 February 2018]

Follow The Crows is a definite must-see, especially if you like dystopian films with interesting characters and gorgeous scenery. It's engaging and tragic, and it doesn't matter that you don't find out why the world has gone to hell - what matters is that it has and this is how people are dealing with it.

For a first feature film this is a very good effort. The desolate locations are beautifully shot and plight of the two main actors in particular is very engaging: I loved that we meet our female protagonist chained to a dead body. The characters are nuanced, troubled by their pasts and very believable. All the while the eerily beautiful soundtrack hums in the background and keeps the hairs standing up on your forearms throughout.

Unfortunately, there are areas of the film that prevent it from being perfect. Some of the shots and effects used during the fight with the Hunter at the end look slightly amateurish and there were too many fade up/fade downs that slowed the pace of the film. I felt the death scene was rushed and lacked the emotional punch needed for a big finale.

The story of Follow The Crows really gets under your skin and stays with you long after you leave the cinema. Definitely worth a watch!

Fantastic!

[livvysecker · 9 February 2018]

Brilliant first feature film! The harsh reality of survival was captured perfectly through the use of scenery and setting, as well as the relationships between characters! Can't wait for the next one!

A Shame

[morganalice-34902 · 1/10 · 11 May 2021]

It's says a lot about a film when the vast majority of good reviews are by people who are clearly family members of the director.

I am loathe to leave a bad review about someone's directorial debut as I wouldn't want to discourage their creativity, but this film is, in a word, boring. All talk no action. Half an hour into the film I still didn't really understand the plot, what little action there was was badly choreographed and painful to watch. The script was bare and the actors didn't do much with the little they were given, and low budget is no excuse for bland. Sorry to say, not worth the watch.

Boring

[ritavinsara · 1/10 · 20 July 2019]

Watched it because of 7.9/10 on IMDB Very disappointing. Crap acting, slow, would not recommend.

Terrible

[jon-c-ison · 2/10 · 9 September 2019]

People wander about in the countryside, have campfires. One or two of them kill each other. That is literally it. There is no narrative of any kind, really. It takes an unconvincingly one-dimensional take on human nature, and hinges almost entirely on an emotional backstory, which is very flimsy and shoddily told. Consequently - and because of the lack of events - it is very boring, with a mind-numbingly dull performance by the male lead. We are asked to care about the relationship between him and the female lead - who is much better - but this is hollow. Poor script, poor acting. Very nicely filmed though, with a decent score. Shame as it opened very well - but it's as if the creative imagination was depleted after the first 5 minutes. I now realise this is an amateur production, so I heartily encourage to try again, but this time include emotionally compelling imagery and events, rather than lots of conversations, to drive the character development and emotional narrrative, for example the handcuff scene towards the beginning is first class.

Low budget doesn't mean woeful...

[sgct · 1/10 · 1 May 2021]

But in this case it does. Poor , wooden and annoying actors. Even muting the colours didn't help this dropped lasagne. Move on nothing to see here.

Deserves a wider audience.

[malexthed · 9/10 · 6 February 2018]

It's usual to qualify any review of an amateur film with the prefix: "For an amateur production...." It helps the reader lower their expectations as though they were appraising a three year old's first attempt at a self-portrait. For Follow the Crows there is no need for such context. From the understated charisma of the actors, the deft, unpretentious direction and the minimalist screenplay right through to the production and presentation of last night's preview everything about this film screams professional integrity and dedication. Set in the muddy hills and menacing woodlands of a post-apocalypse Britain, it is the story of an unnamed couple thrown together by their mutual need for survival and, ultimately, forgiveness. Filmed on location on a Neolithic path known as The Ridgeway in Wiltshire, the already sodden landscape is washed through a grey filter that provides a beautiful, if stark, backdrop to lives stripped of all but a basic humanity. Only the small log fires illuminating the endless cold nights provide any real colour, any real comfort for the characters that roam the film's bleak setting. Follow the Crows has a touch of Ben Wheatley about it in tone as well as look. Director Alex Secker spares his audience any exposition and we join the characters on their never ending search rather than watch them from a distance. Like them, you work it out as you go along. When the anonymous figure of the hunter begins stalking the former members of a gang escaping from their past and themselves across the hills and through the woodlands, it is up to us, along with them, to work out why they are being picked off. The Hunter (played with consummate understatement by co-script writer and producer Mark Starr) is satisfyingly enigmatic and straightforward at the same time. He is clearly seeking revenge and, once satisfied, can die in peace. Such is the intelligence of the screenplay, he barely needs to speak for us to hear his pain, and it is never certain if he will achieve his aim. Every character, no matter how briefly they appear, is created in full and from scratch. There's the fool-in-motley sidekick to a sadistic and malevolent trapper uncomfortably thrown into moral and actual wilderness that he cannot survive. The middle-aged rapists whose bickering and banal sadism underpins society's slide toward complacent barbarism. The two middle class professionals thrown together in a world they are equpped to do nothing but abandon themselves to. Even the five second appearance of the brooding Roger (the only character given a name in the end credits) has a narrative and moral purpose. At the heart of the film are the stand out performances of the two main characters. First there is The Man - who is essentially good but forced to live with the memory of the evil he has been party to - played with clinical restraint by Max Curtis. Even in the courageous silences through which Secker allows his audience to become part of his landscape, Curtis wears his pain and conviction like the mark of Cain. What vestige of humanity he has managed to save is nurtured and kindled like a camp fire on a rain-soaked hillside by The Woman. Played by a disarmingly natural Daniella Faircloth who skilfully manages to inhabit her character more than portray her, she is a hymn to innocence and experience: victim, killer, vulnerable, powerful, decisive and lost. Dialogue is sparse, exposition is minimal but the story is rich and well told. Making any film is difficult. Producing a full-length feature on a small budget is especially hard. Creating an intelligent film that never flags, rejects cliché and looks this good takes a superhuman form of dedication. It is clear that everyone involved in this production deserves the highest possible praise and should be justifiably proud of their work. I look forward to their next project, because there surely must be one.

Intelligent and thought provoking

[jonsecker · 8/10 · 17 February 2018]

I never give 10/10. That's saved for the masterpieces I haven't seen yet. 9/10 is for films that have had a significant impact on my 55 years. This film gets 8/10. I want to see it again - it could very well be 9/10.

Loved Follow the Crows

[jodiepatchett-potter · 9/10 · 9 February 2018]

I loved this film. Secker takes the audience on a journey with the characters he immerses you within the story, and you very quickly become emotionally involved with the film. The male and female lead were very natural & believable with their portrayals of the characters and gave superb performances. All of the characters were well developed and everyone in the film gave a good performance. A special mention to Marc Star & Tony Manders who I thought were both extremely menacing and at times both very disturbing this was played by the actors with complete ease. Personally I go to the movies for it to provoke an emotion, this certainly did. It provoked many emotions, it was sad, it was scary, it was grotesque in places and it even had a couple of funny moments.

My only criticism would be that I found it a little slow at the beginning, although saying this I left the cinema wanting more. Alex Secker really is one to watch he is extremely talented and I hope to see many more films of this quality from him.

Amazing..

[joannesecker · 9 February 2018]

Absolutely amazing first feature film. Well done to you all for your hard work in making this film, really enjoyed it. Make another one.

Loved it!

[bbdbl · 9/10 · 9 February 2018]

This film was amazing for a low budget first offering from Alex Secker and Marc Starr. They made the best use of the natural offerings of barren hillside around Wiltshire. The cast and crew should be very proud of themselves. All the actors were fantastic and the soundtrack fully encapsulated the tense atmosphere of this thriller. The grey, grainy colour really added to the gritty feel of this film. Well written with an amazing twist at the end that easily ties up questions you had while watching. Felt like cheering when Daniella (commodity) got her revenge! Looking forward to this dynamic duos next offering.

Promising low budget debut

[info-43610 · 8/10 · 6 October 2019]

I really enjoyed this bleak and atmospheric post-apocalyptic film. It sets a mood and doesn't try to offer any explanations. It simply offers up a picture of a world and some characters that makes me feel for them.

There are obvious signs of the minimal budget and the lack of professional script writing but the director uses the available resources to his advantage. Simply by using the camera with natural scenery and lighting we are offered a believable portrait of emotionally stunted survivors aimlessly trying to survive a harsh world.

I really look forward to the next project from this team.

Fantastic film with incredible scenic shots!

[rosiesecker · 10/10 · 23 April 2020]

Was extremely impressed with Alex Secker's first directed film! The story was very clever, the actors were brilliant and the shots of scenery were beautiful. Was captivated and gripped through out - well done!

Impressive

[littlelively · 8/10 · 9 February 2018]

It looked great, beautiful scenes and it was captured so well. Had a touch of 'Black Mirror" about it and reminded me of 'A field in England' at times. Interesting character dynamics and would defintley recommend.