Horror Short Film "The Follower" | ALTER
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- Опубликовано: 28 фев 2021
- Fueled by the hope of escaping her dreary suburban life, a misunderstood teen entertains the increasingly sinister advances of an Internet friend in a riff on the 1966 Joyce Carol Oates story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
The Follower by Stevie Szerlip
More About "The Follower" :
When 16-year-old Sophie posts a photo on Instagram that her mother considers risqué, she is punished, forced to stay at home without a phone while her family attends an event. she is more than content to drink wine and work on her tan, until one of her Instagram followers, a mysterious stranger named Jimmy Flowers shows up in a decommissioned cop car with a strange, damaged friend and engages her in an intriguing gambit. As the encounter grows unnerving and dark, Sophie begins to backpedal, but she’s in a vulnerable spot and brimming with mixed feelings. Faced with imminent danger, Sophie must quickly come to terms with her crafted persona versus the actuality of her youth.
Connect with the Filmmakers:
www.stevieszerlip.com
/ lip_szervice
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"The Follower" Credits
Writer & Director
Stevie Szerlip
Producer:
Sarah Winshall
Executive Producer
Chloe Gordon
Editor
Brook Linder
Music by
James Ferraro
Director of Photography:
Sean Price Williams
Production Design
Natalie Fält
Costume Design
Stacey Nishimoto
Hair & Makeup
Doniella Davy
Sound Design
Josh Ascalon
Colorist
Jamie O’Bradovich
Title Design
Caspar Newbolt
Cast
Logan Polish
Jack Kilmer
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Video Title
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For further info, here is a statement from "The Follower" director, Stevie Szerlip:
"The Follower" is based on a quintessential Joyce Carol Oates story Inspired by a real life serial killer who preyed upon young girls. It’s commonly read in High Schools across America, and when I encountered it the first time I was struck by the idea that someone could hold power over me solely based on their physical dominance. That because I am a woman, I am more vulnerable in this type of exchange where the power dynamic is inherently imbalanced. Whether or not the nature of the situation is threatening, there will always exist this covert sense of terror.
Along with this idea, the structure of Joyce’s classic stranger-danger story had a fairytale-like simplicity which I wanted to bring a fresh coat of paint to. I updated the story for today, adding an emphasis on social media and the way we live out our lives on camera. I was thinking about the illusions and false values that arise from the devotion to pop culture, music, movies and especially the internet and wanted to explore today’s coming of age from the perspective of a girl who is forced to deal with the unintended consequences of expressing her sexuality in the public realm."
👍🏻
Yep... still don’t get it
@@robotech987654321 women are to learn self defense or "Jiu Jitsu" but men won't stop, men won't have to learn how to respect women huh?
+I believe there's a generation gap though Oats was read during a different era in most U.S High schools and many did thesis of what the characters ,numbers and even objects meant. Like the house were almost Metaphorically Representions of Reality and Fiction are blurred Oats story though was written about a serial killer-rapist before the Hippie Generation. It's a work of fiction leaving much open to the Readers interpretation/debate. This Shorts representations were interrupted differently to A Younger Generation of people who have lost their imagination and thinking sklls (Even myself being much older am Guilty during this Pandemic of Binge watching instead of Reading. I am politely trying to say minds work differently even with Oats theme used in current times. FILM is Art as is writing but the younger generation have lost the ability of imagination and in Reality they are trying to grow up quicker with technology being there in every waking moments of our lives. The True story reality is more relevant now than in the 60s. Young Girls and Boys not realizing the dangers of making your life so open to strangers and growing up to quickly. The predators of yesteryear has also became more texh savy .is more believe I caught what certain things actually represented i hope by rewatching and opening my mind/imagination up like when i read . I'm alot older now but i was a young naive female teenager 3+ decades ago. That grew up way too quickly. I'm lucky to be here . GREAT Short 👍🧠👀Made me really have to think and Rewatch.
@@robotech987654321 world is how we build it
We've created a world where we are victim because we are women
This creepy guy looks like leonardo DiCaprio and freddy Kruger had an unholy child
More like Leonardo DiCaprio and Chuckie th doll from later films)
@@alexandrakuryachaya1824 lol kinda
Lhh 😹😹you got both my babies messed up....
ABAHAHAJA
That is actually actor Val Kilmer’s son
I think there is more to the story than we see... when she sees dead flowers and rotten fruit she realizes she's been so delusional she didn't even see that her family is long gone (probably died in a car crash while driving to barbecue). And she lived her life in fairytale until this guy came and made her realise the truth. I think he might be the embodiment of Death and he came to take her out of her dream to afterlife just like he took his racoon-loving "friend" before. Maybe I looked too deep into it but it was my first thought about it.
PS music is 👌 , overall beautiful piece of cinema 🤍
Makes sense to why she came out in all white. Also when he was at the screen and the bright lights behind him.
I thought about that too, this movie is realistic and even have a metamorphic sence. Masterpiece!
That would kind of make her comment of "you don't need it" in regards to her mother's blouse make sense. She knew they were dead, but she would not allow herself to accept the reality of it
I would also say her dressed in white at the end and his saying, "look around before we leave" might be indication that she committed suicide.
Very intuitive! I like how you think. Yes, this analysis explains even more of the rich symbolism. He did not give her a choice about leaving with him, just gave her some time to assimilate his orders, and told her to look around and say goodbye. Really interesting perspective! With her being in denial, maybe that's why he kept prodding her to remember "him" as if she should have remembered him from the previous deaths? Clearly your writing has been much food for thought.
When he said " I'll take you to a nice house in the country. " thats exactly where she is in her mind. He made her realize the dress was a tacky homemade dress and not like what she wore online. He made her see all her fruits were really rotten and revealed the scars of her past. Maybe.
Wow 💯
You're smart. I was lost. 🤣
Thank you guys🥰🥰 I didn't even know it had this many likes lol
Also the image portrayal or the Girl Scout sash appeared to be both a show of her innocence/ignorance of reality as well as that she really is someone who she not is online. She acts to suit; an online fantasy that sadly turned into a sad reality.
@@daynasafranek7807, what do you mean by
"she really is someone who she not is online" ? 🤔
its so cool reading everyone's interpretation of the film. it makes it so much more interesting.
Yes it is. I think Sophie is a complete dumbass though. Even a 5 year old child knows you shouldn't just get into a car with a random stranger.
fr
Idk why but this looks like horror movie set in the 70’s with modern day technology
Yessss i was thinking the same thing lol
80s. Very 80s.
We love this aspect of the film. Stevie establishes a dream like world that asserts itself as timeless. She combines the reality of the Joyce Carol Oate's story with the social media space we live in today. It's so smart and well thought out!
@@WatchALTER so I totally overthought that aspect in my analysis? 😅 really cool way to pay homage to the original source though!
💣💥
I am one who is seeing comments to understand the movie
Me too :)
Me 3
Me 4! 😁
Me 5
M3 6
i think he was a personification of death! the imagery of her in all white leaving the house and being driven off into the light, the fact that he had another person in his car that he was guiding to the afterlife and mentioned val couldnt go to sleep “without being tied down” so he probably died that way, mentioning that he’s “been around” and “from the shadows” etc. interesting to think about.
dang this is accurate
I think Val got rabies....
"Is that my blouse?"
"You don't need it."
Nah fam my mom would be like, "Well I didn't need a child either but look where I am"
You think you've got it bad? My mom literally goes to the hospital and asks for a refund on me and my brother--
@@yazzythecattyweirdo188 oof
@@yazzythecattyweirdo188 abortion 2.0
Ouch lol
My living privileges would be revoked
Moral of the story: Don't talk to a stranger
Moral of the story is don't be fake.
If you never talked to strangers it would indicate you have psychological problems.
A big *W* for Billy-fucking-Andrew 📣!
This is what I was taught as a child, look at me(the world) now talking to you(a stranger)!
@@hellbent1234 You need a 🏅
Wow, a modern horror film in that good old 70s grain aesthetic! Consider me interested! 😁
70’s theme....with a cell phone and social media
The 70s wishes they had techno and cell phones 😆 more like late 80s 90s vibe.
Same
My kinda stuff
It's not 70s at all. It's like horror movies from 80s, and a bit from early 90s. But yeah, it was pretty nice all the stuff.
The whole vibe of this is just...bizarre. It's like a 2000s movie filmed in the 90s. I love it!
Ohh is it?
I know righttt and I love it
The moral of the story is- Don't share every moment, every part of your life on social media & internet. No one knows, which cruel brains are waiting for u.. Plz be alert. Take care everyone.
To all that are confused, it is a bit of an ambiguous one and took me a moment to figure out. Here's what I think is happening:
Its a commentary on the falsity of social media, and expectation vs reality. She's obsessed with Instagram, showing off her beauty, her lovely home, bragging to strangers about how she will be moving to the glitz and glamour of NYC and going to college. The reality is that it's all smoke and mirrors, literally as you see her take the strangers smoke off him, and you see her REAL house in the cars door mirror when she closes it.
The reason that what we assume to be a villain allows her to stay in the house and "take a good look around and say goodbye" is because he's not there to abduct her, he's there to take her back to reality.
My interpretation is that these two fellas are her projections, possibly older brothers, just as messed up by abusive/neglecting parents as she is. That his face is messed up I take to mean that hers is too, the "ugly harsh truth of reality", the same way that the other guy is clearly not an intelligent guy (playing with a wild animal and getting bitten), the same way she isn't intelligent enough to ever get into college.
Her "perfect life" is an invention, a denial of reality. As for the police car, that was a very nice and clever touch. She says something along the lines of "I don't know any cops". It's a metaphor of how broken the system is, that an abused child can go so easily unnoticed by authorities. It's saying that she's asked police to help her before and they haven't, hence why the car is a decommissioned one that isn't functional.
It may also be an allusion again to her reality as she insists just after that that she is 16, the legal age for sex. Throw that together with the sexually explicit photos she was taking at the start, the drug and alcohol use, and the cop references, it isn't a stretch to say that it could be alluding to forced prostitution, especially as she got "arrested" at the end.
Finally, the 80's references combined with modern tech. That part I'm still thinking on, but off the top of my head, perhaps it's a yearning for a simpler time? Like she isn't 16 anymore, maybe the idyllic house and all her hopes and dreams were true in the 80's, but now she's in (again the expectation vs reality) reality a middle aged woman caught up in a life of abuse, degradation, drug and alcohol abuse and prostitution?
Anyways, tl;dr expectation vs reality. That's my two cents!
Nope, it's about a guy that couldnt afford acne meds. So he became a cannibal and ate pizza cause he was a pizza face. He wanted something to drink so he met that girl who likes social media. She was missing a drink a decided that it was he's fault. He liked christian slater in the movies Heathers but they didn't like him. That's why she got in the car with him in the end. Iam the damn gingerbread man.
What?! Abuse and neglect? I know you had to reach for an interpretation. This movie gave almost nothing.
@@JSmith-oc5jh haha its not a reach, the dude literally talks about being tied up as a child every night to stop him scratching and likens it to a bondage fetish. The mother at the start punishes her daughter for the amount of attention she's getting online, then rushes off because she has more important things to do than care about her daughter. The dishes haven't been done in the house and the food is rotting. There are loads more. This film gives you the full story but it wants you to think about it and discuss the very real themes its trying to put across because those themes occur all the time in real life and are important to address. Perhaps this is all from the perspective of the police - the clues and signs of abuse/neglect are all there, but it's confusing and easy to misinterpret at first glance...
It’s a recreation of an old story by the name “Arnold Friend”
Well said i was going to comment something along the lines but no need now. I agree.
This film is in the stalker genre but it’s also a satire and parody of the influencer world. Social media is now just all about of taking swipes at Instagram stars and fashion bloggers.
Exactly
Dude, this the most 80s modern movie 🎥 i saw in my life
Why would they have kinda modern phones then more of 90s maybe idk it’s weird
@@animepotato1028 yeah, it's weird by a cool way
@@animepotato1028 I guess its supposed to have that vintage or 70s vibe but it has modern Technology, obviously it doesn't take place in the 70s or 80s but I feel it represents those years where serial killers were more prominent in those eras so that's maybe why it looks that way
it's actually based off a story that a film called Smooth Talk (1985) was also based off of, so you should check that out if you liked this, some of the scenes are super similar but yeah I definitely love the vibe of this version. Laura Dern was the main character in the original film
"This is why I don't do social media"
Said my family when they literally have social media.
Basically her innocents was lost! Addicted to social media at a young age destroyed her ability to know what's going on around her! Very good interpretation of reality! I love this piece!
Really she wasn’t innocent dressing like that
This movie balances the shock factor of what’s going on in front of social media and behind the scenes of social media with insights into how a little fantasy helps to get through hard and tough times to some people. Like this girl going through the social media popularity rabbit hole and becoming another person to please herself and others. A short film that explores the pitfalls of social media life and how the Internet affects society today and may affect it tomorrow. The plot doesn't matter but its a sad reality.
Moral of the story: Think twice before accepting an unknown friend request and do not pretend fake personalities to gain popularity. Thanks to the makers and @ALTER
Nice interpretation of the story. Thanks.
That is how this world is getting lost in self created social media hallucinations. It’s a fast-paced drama about using social media to settle personal scores.
@First Degree That’s pretty much what this movie is about, to achieve Internet fame.
I don't think she knew she was dead because she had already died inside.
On the contrast, in social media to protect yourself, you have to create fake personality and separate your real self, the only thing is to be aware not get absorb into that fake personality, or else you will suffer a distorted reality like this girl have.
This is a horrifying scenario even at surface level. Like this finally brought the real feeling of how kidnappings feel in real life, one on one. This is so well done.
Every young Teenage Girl With Social Media Needs To See This!! Appreciate what you are for who you are. Glamour is nothing more then a Blurry Reality.
a Blurry Reality
I googled the book, "Bluebeard" that Sophie was reading to see if I could get some insight into the film. The moral of the story is that curiosity only causes problems because it either leads to discovering something we wish we didn't know or at best, we lose our sense of wonder as soon as the reality is revealed to us. I think this might explain everything. Spoiler: .......
The ending is a little odd though. All I can think is instead of fighting them, she just accepts her fate..?
i think we can assume the girl spent a long time (at least a week) alone in that house and i also assume that the house is in reality not half as neat as depicted here. so the guys offer has some real appeal
I sure do miss Amy O'Neill Playing Teens Teenagers & Young Adults in Shows and Movies
You have to read Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates to understand it. This is what it’s based off of. And she based that story off of a song by Bob Dylan which was based off of a serial killer during that time period.
Hi! I disagree with your interpretation of the story of Bluebeard. I don't think that curiosity is being portrayed there as a mere "cause of problems", but rather, as a tool to help us find the truths we *need* to know (even though we wish we didn't). Sometimes, people don't see abuse for what it is, or confuse it with love. I'd say that the "moral" of Bluebeard, is that in order to protect ourselves, we must never blindly "love and obey" someone, but rather, to trust our instincts, be alert, wary and cautious when allowing a new partner into our lives, and also, the importance of being curious enough to search for the truth about that person, especially when we feel there's something terribly wrong.
I have never said "WTF" more then I ever did watching this.
I don't know why, but val saying he's still training the racoon made me laugh.
This reminded me so much of Midsomar. There is an especially creepy layer added to horror movies that take place in the bright sunny light of day. Since a common horror trope is allowing one to believe everything will be ok in the morning its even scarier to see that even in the raw, unflinching strobe of the sun danger still lurks and theres nowhere to go.
His skin is something else 😂
Yes bloody manky
it’s a way of telling the girl that social media changes her appearance and how in the reality world she’s also ugly. The guy is there to take her back to the real world and not the world that she lives in.
The shot of her feet when walking to the car looked scabby af
there's people out there with his skin condition tho
Sophie looks like a young Scarlett Johansson... Overall a pretty interesting film. I loved the vibe, colors, music, very nostalgic yet actual.
I agree. but in my perspective, Sophie looks like a blonde version of a character from a certain movie series . I forgot the name of it but I’m sure it starts with “Charlie”
This feels like one of those trippy eighties films, the lighting, the acting, the music, the cinematography, something similar in vibe to "The Breakfast Club" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" I wish more stuff was like this. Bravo!!
Not all horror and scare involves blood and knives. This is a timely psychological thriller that touches on social media presence, the willingness to please, and that stage of youth just before adulthood. Those who are expecting a full plot walkthrough and explanation should watch a Marvel movie or Eat Pray Love...involves much less thinking for themselves. Thanks for posting, Alter.
Blood and knives are virtual story which never scares me now...Now such reality based psychological thriller haunts me the most😲
This one had a knife
edi sana pina billboard mo
@@amitroy8223 😅 there was wasn’t there?
Ok we get it, you are a psychological fanboy, but there is no need to be smartass and insult people
Sophie is somewhat drunk. It's a hot day. She has a stalker so basically she hallucinates. He is not really there(you can see it clearly the screen and the knife). It's just the surface of it. The stalker is not a different person. He is a personification of her fears and desires. When she walks out, her 👗 and light have changed completely. White is a color of innocence. This is a symbolic story. Sophie was cute.
I think dude is meant to be reality check, which is why his face is all scared and ugly, because reality\truth is ugly. Her fantasy was that she wears expensive clothes and lives in big wealthy house, while in reality she has homemade dress and lives in tiny old house. Flowers and fruits are decaying, which symbolizes her losing track of time by unnecessary things in life, such as social media and online followers. This is why she has white dress in the end, because she reclaims some of her innocence and is put on right track, once she gets visit from reality check.
There was something about the fact that the guy never resorted to overt violence that kept me watching. Maybe Stockholm Syndrome is what sent her off with them. Hopefully, the rotten fruit was more than just cheap thrills and held a deeper meaning, e.g., there was some element of delusion in Sophie's "reality."
I think everyone wanted to see them jugs
I’m kind of surprised people are so confused by this. Maybe it’s generational, but if you went to elementary school in the 90s this is practically a shot by shot remake of those “stranger danger” videos they used to show alongside all the DARE, anti-gang, anti-drug propaganda
Yeah, that’s what I saw at first as well.
But, upon a second viewing, it’s clear that there’s much more to the story.
For example, in those stranger-danger videos, they would’ve grabbed her and that would be the end of the story.
In this one, he comes off as mean and forceful, but he never hurts her or makes her do anything. They even point out how a screen door isn’t going to stop anyone.
Notice how he calls her a fake and talks about taking her away to somewhere beautiful? And as he’s saying those things, she’s noticing the rotten fruit and piled up dirty dishes in the house? Not to mention she clearly throws a bottle of alcohol at the guy, probably signifying her parent's alcoholism.
It’s pretty clear after rewatching that she’s living a lie on the internet to make herself seem special.
I’m still not certain about who the people are that came to take her away. Her inner-self? The grim reaper? Other kids who’ve lived that same online lie and came to liberate her?
I’m 35 and I am very confused by it. 🤷🏾♀️
It’s amazing how there’s so much ways you can interpret the ending. It really gets you thinking.
This is like watching a 2020 video that was filmed in the 90s.
80s
1890s
@@ObitoKamui11
👆👏👏👏😂
“Is that my blouse?”
“You don’t need it.”
my mama would have set me straight real quick
I remember reading this story in high school. I recognized it immediately. In the story, the creep's name is "Arnold Friend."
It's called "Where are you going, Where have you been?" by Joyce Carol Oates. I used to teach it and it's one of my favorites.
He says he "knows her," just like people assume they know someone based off of the social media persona they present to the world. Sophie has created this dream world for herself, and she escapes to it through aesthetic, this 80's aesthetic made possible by raiding her mom's wardrobe, an shaping her curated IG world, and the playlists she frequents (which help her to escape when she can't post to IG). Everything she shares has made it easy for a predator to get into her headspace, the blueprint needed to play into her dream world, the fantasy she's created made public. He's playing this dramatized 80's bad boy character, with a quirky friend to try and coerce her into going on an 80's adventure, when the music is playing it almost feels real to her, but when it stops she brought back to reality. I think at the end he's able to get her to go with him with the hopes of creating something "new",she doesn't want to be a copycat, so she's coaxed to leave in the pursuit of a new aesthetic outside her home and bedroom. She emerges in white, like a blank canvas, about to create a new IG feed, (or so she thinks?.) There is a lot to unpack tho, with easter eggs, i'm not a film buff to get all the references but the book that was show was def intentional, and what he says to her about being her "mountain man" is prob a song lyric that he used to convince her also. References to Lolita, Marilyn, etc. The rotten fruit part confuses me though, it definitely leaves the interpretation open, what was her reality, and what was all delusion? Also I think the Rash line wasn't actually Val's childhood, but the guy clearly with the rashes, and that's why he's messed up.
“Hey is that my dress? You don’t need it” was crazy foreshadowing
9:32 this dude is so funny for saying that "Your a copycat and a fake bitch" I love his voice.
I’ll see you out here in a little bit. Lol
This movie is creepy because it throws you off, it keeps testing your ability to predict what happens next and tricks you with totally different scene, dialogue or visual. Like Sophie looking in the mirror and throwing the bottle having us thinking she would break the mirror but she tricks us and throw it at the door instead and when she sits in the car we expect to see the face of the cop in side mirror but we don't and now that we know we were tricked and won't see the face in the side mirror they adds the scene where we see Sophie instead. It is masterfully crafted. I watched it when I was high, having an epiphany and I cannot explain my experience in words what I saw, It was hard to process this shot film
What’s messed up is in highschool I dated a kid like him🤣🤣 wtf was I doing with my life in highschool 🤣🤣
This took me down a rabbit hole of short stories. I read a different version of a story called the follower and read “where are you going? Where have you been?” And fell down another rabbit hole of forums and stuff about that. Now I’m back 2 hours later rewatched this and off to find more. 10/10 one the the casting, the aesthetic, the fresh spin on this story, the script. Everything. And bonus it inspired me to start writing short stories again. Thank you for bringing so much to the retelling of an important story that so many Sophie’s/Connie’s never got to share.
I read it in college, that’s why when I just finished watching it I was thinking how familiar it seemed
@@brittneyalexandria4261 I really liked the OH story!! What did you think of this short film adaptation vs the short story? I liked it the video a lot but it was pretty vague and mysterious which is why I went down a rabbit whole looking for context. I think after reading the short story I understand it way better. In a lot of ways it’s an ode to leaving girlhood behind you. Like she’s teetering on the edge of wanting to be grown up but also still has the safety and familiarity of childhood to come home to and the guy is basically invading her innocence and she finally relents and let’s go. Idk that’s a bit of what I picked up on more from the story than this video.
@@spookybaby7497 yeah, that’s a great outlook on it actually! When I first read the short story, we had a class discussion about it, and i kicked the discussion off. My initial take on it was kind of like a battle with the devil? You know? Because, I was thinking, if this is someone she’s never met before, and they’ve only seen each other once, according to the short story, how could he have possibly known all this information about Connie and her family? You know? I did, after watching the short film, go back and read the short story over again, and I don’t know, there are lots of things I think it could be interpreted as. I do think Connie/Sophie’s sense of reality was distorted, which is why everything began to seem unfamiliar in both the film and the story, but I think they both touch on different realities while the over all theme, essentially is the same. The film was more modern, with a more nostalgic aesthetic, if that makes sense. But I still don’t really know what I think. Truth be told, ever since I watched the field and went back to read the story over again, I’ve actually been analyzing the text. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind, so I’ll get back with you with it, because I don’t really know. But what I do know, is that I really, really enjoy both pieces. I know that was a mouth full, so my apologies. I just get really excited with conversations and pieces like these. 😂☺️
@@brittneyalexandria4261 no please don’t apologize, I loved hearing your insight!! I love having someone as Interested in talking about it as I am. I totally fell down a rabbit hole trying to make sense of it all. Something about it really stuck with me. I absolutely get the devil aspect. He’s certainly a bit otherworldly and as he gets bolder she shrinks back into herself and the house. But he’s already ruined things.
*trigger warning I begin to speak about s.a. and you or anyone else can stop reading here, completely understood*
Truth be told part of me thought of S.A. as a survivor and that feeling of teetering on feeling like an adult and then someone just ripping it all away from you so fast and all you want is to go back towards innocence before you finally resign to the reality of what’s happened and move forward senselessly. Maybe this is too personal but for me I thought of the shame and fear I felt after and how I let that lead me right back into what could very well be the devils arms or at least some sort of evil. It took a long time of therapy, healing, and growing before I could stand still instead of blindly trying to escape that feeling of lost innocence and shame with more of the same darkness (promiscuity, dr*gs, ect) Something about the story and film just pokes that wound bc it feels so violating. He’s toying with her making her squirm and he knows he’s going to get his way regardless. If you want to take this convo off public comments you can totally add me on Instagram because I’d love to continue talking about it but I know I headed into some personal territory. Regardless would love to hear your thoughts and any new ideas that have come to mind for you!!!
@@spookybaby7497 omg, honestly, I literally have been thinking the same thing. I've rewatched/read both works multiple times and thought to myself, “in some way the characters were violated and fell into the arms of some kind of devil” that devil being Arnold Friend/Jimmy (or was it Jason?) Flowers. I'm so glad you have overcome what happened to you, that brings my heart so much joy! But yes, I’d love to add you on Instagram and talk more about!!
The acting… the 80s vibe… everything is on top. It’s quite f**king good.
"innocent. Hm.. I'm 16" spoken like a true 16 year old.
This was too confusing, and I've seen “Gwilliam.” 😂
@MinecraftKing It just was when I watched this. Multiple people agreed. Different people have different opinions. Thanks for replying to an old comment.
@MinecraftKing what exactly happened in the end? Why did she leave?
Loved it. Just as squirmy, unsettling & then kinda surrealist nightmare'y as when I first read Joyce Carol Oates original story, uugh...! I was a teenage girl at the time, it scared the ever liven Hades outa me & lurked in my mind since. Thanks Alter, for offering such a wide variety of horror to your fans/us weirdos! ❤️
Thank you for the thoughtful comment! We're big fans of the short story and feel like this interpretation is ace. We're glad you enjoyed it as well!
@@WatchALTER Thank you for sharing all kinds & styles of "horror" stories & videos. Bloody, gory stuff isn't usually my thing, but weird, psychological/cerebral horror really "alters" me😉! Freaks me out, but in a good way😆🙃💀 Thx again ALTER❤️
What is the name of the story?
@@sabrinatscha2554Where are you going? Where have you been? Short story by Joyce Carol Oates
The Bluebeard reference, the cell phone camera making an old school shutter sound, the hypnotic ass trance'y music, the 90s essence/ filter, the nostalgia of the movie"Scream", the slow increase of anxiety...whew! Great film! So many great details, I love all the interpretations!
For anyone wondering. This is based of a short story called “where are you going? Where have you been?” If you’re confused I would recommend reading the story. It really helps you understand. But this short story is meant to interpreted as YOU see it
9:25 when you do something embarrassing in public.
I just want to say wow. That male actor portraying Jimmy Flowers is damn good. He needs his own Netflix movie. I really like the part where he's just standing there with Aviators on, so poker faced I love it. Also, I need to know the music playing in this video. I love 80s synthwave, and I just really really love the songs in the film. Overall, this is 100% a gem, and refreshing to say the least. Great film, thank you for creating such a masterpiece
guy literally was the worst actor in the entire thing and that’s saying a lot lol
@@alg7970 well that’s your opinion on it which is fine. Everyone has their own perspective/take on it.
@@mssaltygiggles respect
That’s Jack Kilmer. He’s in the movie Palo Alto. Highly recommend
He’s Val Kilmer’s son.
This reminded me of Smooth Talk (1985).
ALTER's social media version was just as effective. Nice work, Stevie.
Both eerie and fantastic. Thanks for watching!
Yup, 5 minutes in I was like is this suppose to be Treat Williams and Laura Dern? I couldn't remember the name of the movie tho, so thanks for reminding me. I believe that movie was also based on the J. C.Oats "Where are you going, where have you been?"
@@KitKat-qr1ne lol yep same
The music is giving me 90's style television days when i was a kid back then.
do u know the song name?🙏
Damn that acne
The ugly side of social media, although I saw it as a syphilitic outbreak myself.
Its a rash by his own words
I know he has such a pizza face xD No offense to the actor though. Like I've dealt with some annoying ass acne myself.... but shit man he got it bad 0____o Unless if it's makeup? lol
@@jackskellington4198 It's makeup. The actor is Jack Kilmer.
@@somerled5513 Ah, okie. 👌 had a feeling lol
Is it just me to does he look like he could be the next Johnny Depp. Much younger but it feels a little like his vibe
Omg yes!
he's val kilmer's son. famous actor.
Are you kidding? Looks and acts nothing like him. Yeah it’s Val Killer’s son. What’s on his face?
What made her not wanna lock the door-
I was absolutely so confused when I watched this. I didn't understand it at all until I went to the comment section and after reading some interpretations of the film, I think I at least understand it now. But I still didn't care for this one all that much. I've watched so many short horror films by Alter that were so unbelievably good and straightforward, but this one is not for me. I didn't care for it, but to each their own. Thank you for uploading it anyways, I always appreciate it because you never know if you are going to like it unless you give it a chance.
The way it came off to me, the short could be about the extreme cases of stalking online.
In the beginning we see her social media usage and how that garnered her attention from one particular person. She also seems a bit disconnected from her family, not only in that they leave to the barbeque without her, but while Sophie is in her room, they are all in a shared space in the beginning, the kitchen.
The whole process goes down after the family leaves. Sophie at first enjoys social media (sunbathing in the garden), then somebody (the guy with the shades) begins messaging her. The racoon and the whole story about his friend is how he gets close to her, presenting something interesting so she comes closer, then gets agressive when his real intentions come out and she doesn't comply. Eventually it becomes so bad that she becomes withdrawn, retreats into her mind (the house), but even then she's unable to block him out (close the door). The way he's framed, and when he says "This is just a screen, I thought you were smarter than this." definitely makes me think of a smartphone.
Inside the house, the wilting flowers and rotting fruit could indicate her worsening mental health, and as I said she was a bit disconnected to her family, so they didn't know that something was wrong (thus they didn't come home). Then she screams one last time and sheds her old clothes, puts on a white dress and steps outside. This reads to me as she couldn't take it anymore and killed herself. Then the guy with the shades becomes both Death and the stalker, and takes her away, indicative of how the stalker caused her death.
l Love ALTER❤❤💙💙💜 Good Channel Horror💪❤❤❤
Thanks for watching and staying ALTERed with us!
@@WatchALTER 💚💚❤✌
The music almost reminds me of Heathers (1989). Also how it's filmed. Either way, I found this interesting and wasn't what I was expecting so kudos to everyone who was a part of it!
What's the music called?
@@iguana1809 i want to know too!
Joyce Carol Oates. Great writer.
I thought the same thing!!!
@@icarntspel759 👍
I walked away from this not understanding what happened. As far as film making goes, that's probably the worst thing that could happen - leaving your audience clueless and annoyed.
We appreciate you watching the film and sharing your opinion. Definitely check out the pinned director's statement, Stevie describes their intent on adapting the Joyce Carol Oates story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
I could not disagree more, and I think it's a very shallow statement to call out a film for "leaving their audience clueless and annoyed" just because you took everything in it at face value. Films often rely on both symbolism and iconism to convey a message or even a story plot; being aware of this is necessary to enrich your experience.
@@diegoivan685 It wasn't conveyed. And clearly based on all the other comments and my like to dislike ratio I'm not alone in my opinion, which was expressed respectfully. Thanks for playing :D
i know right me too! i’m so confused, i didn’t understand this at all
@@gmikoner It wasn't conveyed because you lacked the knowledge needed prior to watching it, lol. Which happened to me too, it's just normal for films that have this approach. Also, you thanked me for playing what?
I certainly hope thr Racoon was not harmed in any way here
Only his career
Sadly, heard it caught a dose of stupidity, after biting Mr Brainy.
@@billyandrew 🤣🤣
This is so close to the short story!! Great job!! Amazing adaptation
When the guy first pulled up, I thought, "One of her followers is a stalker" then at the end, I realized, he isn't the follower. She is.
She's FOLLOW the stalker, so that the tittle named THE FOLLOWER
oh-
I’m still stuck on the door. I thought she was drunk and passed out but then I saw the pictures on the credits and thought maybe she creates a false reality in every home they squat in and before they get caught they move to the next house or he did abduct her but she has a moment where she remembers the last time she saw her family.
great interpretation!
This seriously needs a part 2 😭😭😭😭
Uki
I like the subtle little glimpse of the rather more modest abode that is briefly showing in the wing mirror as he opens the car door for her, disclosing the reality, rather than the mansion that seems to exist in her head.
this has to be my favorite production.
She’s the Follower.
The music and the art direction are haunting,
Very well written, directed and acted as well!
do u know the song name that was played at 5:05?
This was Super Great ... and a contemporary concept. Not everyone gets to intentionally or unintentionally dive into our multimedia culture and re emerge with sage insight without some damage. Kudos Stevie.
I read “where are you going, where have you been” and this is such a good parallel!
I think this short film is a "modern version" or can say, "Alter version" of "smooth talk" what I read in an article is that"smooth talk" is the basis for a short story "where are you going, where have you been?" By Joyce Carol Oates,based on true story about an American serial killer named "Charles Howady Schmid" who murdered 3 teens.
I still don't get what numbers represent here but ik what's with car and radio and stuff.
Charles's first victim was a girl named Alleen Rowe, .
His girlfriend and best friend helped him get her.. they took her to desert and killed her while Charles' gf was in the car and listening to the radio.
And about the face of an actor? Well as I read in the same article that Charles would wear "pancake makeup" and create a fake mole on his cheek.
There's so many short films out there based on this story but I found this one more fascinating that how they incredibly changed the whole concept ..and mixed 80s vibes with today's "fake world"where people are more obsessed with showing off their "so called" real life than living it
I knew this reminded me of something! "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" freaked me out so much as teen and now I find the story very interesting. I never knew it was based on a real serial killer.
yep you're right, one of the only comments I've found so far pointing this out. I came across this after looking up the person who did the costume design for this short film then I realized wait a minute this is SUPER familiar, lol. I remember seeing Smooth Talk (1985) years ago and it's always stuck with me since then. I need to read the original story now
Alter, I really liked this one. This was very well done. Everything in place and no clue as to what was real until the end. This one gets an infinite thumbs up.
🤣🤣🤣
We're glad you enjoyed it! We love presenting films that push the viewer to fill in the blanks. Sometimes ambiguity is fun! Thanks for watching.
So much open for interpretation. Love this.
This is the first time I'm seeing this film and it's been around for 2 years already. I loved and truly enjoyed the cinematic experience. on an honest note (while just watching it as is), how I saw it was just a film that showed how much a woman is continuously taunted by men as they assert dominance in a way that their physical size/appearance becomes their power and that at any instance that women are faced by men, they end up feeling more vulnerable and far at ease. She feared him for what he could do, especially after his offer of tying up his friend. But when you look at it on another view, after the scene where everything around her turned out to be rotten it feels more like she's finally realizing how she has been living a fantasy or the same remnants from her past life, how she lived with her family. It can also be given that her family actually died (idk reason, maybe a car crash since a car is the last thing she saw them in) and she killed herself after being devastated (seeing her dressed in white in the end). The guy does mention something about her remembering him which may be because he's been there a couple of times already (may be like an outside factor or Death himself trying to pull her out of the cage she's been putting herself in) and she's been reliving the same moment in her life before because it's the last moment she had when she was alive and so was her family.
ANOTHER ONE, it's also a great eye opener to the dangerous consequences there are when dealing with the things we upload and do on social media.
This is a "preview" of what can happen to a lot of the younger generation. The generation without anonymity.... the generation without any empathy for another living thing...the generation that doesn't intervene or call 911when they see robberies/rapes and a bunch of other horrible things that people do to one another! INSTEAD they will film it and post it online!! So well done at capturing the world's youth!
Oh and one more thing I literally loved this allusion "your smart. You kniw this is just a screen right"
*you’re
I don't get it.
@@Funeral_Mannequin an allusion is a reference to something. Shakespeare often alluded to his other works in his plays. I can't think of an example there though but when creepo in this said "you're smart, you know this is just a screen right?". I took that as it was easy for him to cut through the screen door and that is all that seperated her from hin but he is actually alluding to the fact that she hides behind a computer screen and the only thing separating them from connecting in reality is the computer screen...but he has already broken through that by showing up in real life. Now I hope you were actually saying "I don't get it to my comment" and not accidentally responding there when you meant to post on video cuz otherwise I just look like a jerk explaining what I meant when maybe you weren't trying to comment on my comment
@@moniquevandeplas5210 Huh, interesting. Makes sense, tbh. I thought it was like a self-reflection thing (someone else mentioned that).
This literally reminds me of Joyce Carol Oates' "Where are you going, where have you been?"
To everyone saying this is ambiguous or not at all horror, I beg you to read the original material that this is referencing. It literally a how-to on building a sense of dread.
thank you for the suggestion!
Can y’all just give us a run down. I don’t want to read a whole book just to figure out what this is about
This is exactly Joyce Carol Oate’s short story “Where are you going, where have you been?” Anyone else ever read it? It was written in the 60s!
This was extremely deep. Very well done
I think this is a representation of reality versus social media. The guy just serves as a harsh reminder that her life isn’t what she displays online.
"Metal health" is not some trendy hot take, kids. Take care of yourself, everyone. Check on your loved ones. I mean, _REALLY_ check on them! A lot of ppl are living in Sophie's world right in our faces! ✌🏾& Light
Huh? Howd you get tht this was about mental health?
@@fairiejuana ...Hey friend 🙃 U have the cutest name! Sorry. That was off-topic. Lol
But, yeah...
There were clues all along. But the last cpl minutes really revealed the delusion she was in for me. Everything AFTER the car pulled up (ie: her reading "BLUE BEARD;" her smeared lipstick (which shows she's flawed or coming undone); the dirty dishes; cracked mirrors (which are dead give-aways of shattered illusions in writing AND film); the disheveled & unkept interior inside the house; the _REAL_ house reflected in the car's mirror, etc, etc, etc...)
Plus, her name is SOPHIE, as in "Sophie's Choice." The movie where Meryl Streep won an OSCAR @ the Academy Awards for playing a mentally disturbed lady JUST LIKE THIS! Awesome movie, btw. But I digress...
Here, I'm guessing she was having her usual manic episode. So I'm deducing either 1 or both of those guys were her family or close enuff, who knew she liked to -trap out da bando- I mean, play cyber make-believe at that abandoned house. Lol sorry.
So the main dude played along long just enuff for her to snap out of it, get in the car on her own, & take her back to her un-perfect reality.... at least until next time. This is obviously her pattern, sadly.
She is not educated or wealthy. So, no college. No perfect family. No BBQ. No perfect house. No followers or cyber fans... unless she's been posting the lies. It's sad, but it happens all around us. Ppl posting fake lives. Some are fully aware they're fronting. But others, like Sophie, have started to believe their own hype OR have a more serious mental issues.
Hope that made sense like it did in my head. Lol. I'm a writer, so I often tend to ramble off nonsensical streams of foolishness until I complete a thought... or run out of air, like a popped ballon. Lol.✌🏾 & Light
This has "Are you afraid of the dark?" vibes and I love it.
Wow I was just thinking at the beginning that this was reminding me of ‘I Am Sophie’ for some reason, when the mom said Sophie’s name I almost gasped lmao. This is great by the way, as always on this channel.
More depressing to me than it is scary. Girl feels as though she doesn't fit into the family so she acts out. Instead of having a heart to heart, mom and dad seem to have abandoned her physically and emotionally multiple times. It's both a shocker and not that she went with the creepy dude. If she stayed home she would have always felt alone, but she is still alone whether she'd gone with him or not.
This is especially scary because this could actually happen to anyone. Be safe out there guys and girls, if you can carry something to defend yourself like a gun or pepper spray, any little thing helps.
JACK KILMER... one of the best actors in the game. Much love
Now i'm addicted to ALTER 😍😍
The fact that everyone has their own theories makes this a good movie
I knew this story seemed familiar. It brought back all the creepy feelings I felt when I read the original story for a college lit class.
I remember reading it in class but I can’t remember the name
@@Filmfanatic96 I couldn't either, thankfully it's in the description
I KNEW I READ IT THERE I KNEW THIS WAS FAMILIAR
After watching this it reminds me of that movie with Treat Williams and Laura Dern I believe it was called Smooth Talk. Laura in the movie was playing a fast teenager who's family left her at home and Treat came over and basically sweet talked her and instead of her enjoying the intention she found herself terrified from it. Don't want to go too much into detail but the movie was good. This definitely has its vibes as well!! Great job
Now I want to read the original story that this is based on
Love this short film, thank you ALTER!!! Love your work!
Jack Kilmer is amazing. Loved him in Palo Alto. He doesn’t actually have scars on his face that was just for this short film. Both leads were perfectly chosen for their roles. Still trying to work out my interpretation of the film. Really enjoyed it though.
I figured the scars were fake. I didn’t recall him having them in Lords of Chaos.
This is hard core! It's not real scary but having a random guy come to your house and take you WOOOO! That's to much for me. And I love that song lol
This is so Twin Peaks, it’s unreal.
yes, it is
Well done! Before I read the description, I thought, "Isn't this Where Are Going, Where Have You Been?"
I loved the short story this is based on and feel this film captured it so well with a more contemporary twist! Bravo!!!
What is the story? I saw this and know it is so familiar, exactly like a story I read years ago but can’t remember the name.
@@carli8575"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"
@@quickchange4386 thank you!