Ivan Kander

I’ve often begrudged the overuse of the mockumentary format in short film, but, hey, there’s always an exception to the rule. Yes, Follow Me is a mockumentary…but it’s a damn funny one, providing prescient social commentary as well as consistent laughs. Featuring Mad TV alum, Will Sasso, and a slew of other recognizable faces, the film skewers our cultural preoccupation with social media culture—a collective obsession over likes, retweets, and other pointless signifiers of digital affection. Is the point that Follow Me making novel? No. Not really—rarely a day goes by without some “hot-take” think piece about the dangers of social media addiction. But, the comedy feels fresh enough to make it all still work.

Sasso, who co-wrote the script with director Marshall Cook, is at the top is his game here. He plays the clueless protagonist: an everyday dad who’s just trying to keep up with the “kids” and be as “on fleek” as he can. His on-camera enthusiasm is both infectious and excruciatingly awkward. As a result, despite his boorish attempts to gain digital affection (from preying on his daughter’s misfortune to stealing his wife’s jokes), you just sort of feel sorry for him. He’s a pathetic anti-hero—worthy of simultaneous sympathy and scorn. That’s what makes Follow Me work—director Cook understands the inherent empathy of this character: he just wants to be loved. Really, don’t we all want that? So, despite the film’s over-the-top shenanigans, the core sentiment of this character rings true and resonates. Not, bad for a film with pithy one-liners and sketch-like satire.

As Cook relates in his filmmaker’s statement: “Socially, the internet is still the wild west. We hope that our protagonist allows viewers to look closely at how they and the people around them, that they know in real life, use social media.”

Shot over the course of weekend with a small crew, a couple 5Ds, and a GoPro, Follow Me was a quick, small-scale production. It proves that sometimes all it takes to succeed in the short form is some solid actors and a breezy, funny script. Cook, who cut his teeth on commercial competitions on the crowd-sourced site, Tongal (he has been awarded “Tongaler of the Year” and was later inducted into the their hall of fame) is clearly a talent to watch. He is currently hard at work on other projects. We hope to watch, like, and share more of his *ahem* content soon!