The Following

Fox brought an unbelievably intense psychological thriller to network television back in 2013 that completely redefined how terrifying a show could be. You watch Kevin Bacon give an incredibly raw performance as Ryan Hardy, an exhausted former FBI agent brought back to catch a brilliant serial killer he put away years ago. We also get a chilling performance from James Purefoy as Joe Carroll, a charismatic literature professor turned murderous cult leader who uses Edgar Allan Poe to inspire a massive network of killers. I always recommend this series to my friends because it keeps you on the absolute edge of your seat from the very first minute. The story drops you right into a paranoid world where literally anyone from your friendly neighbor to the local police officer could be a secret member of a death cult. A structural analysis shows that every violent cat and mouse game between the agent and the killer mirrors their dark mutual obsession with each other.

Cinematographer David S Tuttman creates a cold and ominous visual atmosphere that makes normal suburban homes look terrifyingly unsafe. You immediately notice how the heavy shadows and muted color tones dominate the screen to reflect the constant threat hiding in plain sight. I do get a little annoyed when the camera uses overly rapid cuts during the sudden knife fights. The aggressive editing makes those violent moments feel a bit too chaotic to actually track the physical movement of the characters. A quick jump back to the quiet and tense interrogation rooms thankfully restores a much better visual balance. The costume department dresses the cult members in ordinary day to day clothing, including terrifying Poe masks, to emphasize that danger lurks everywhere.

Pay attention to the set design and you will see how the physical locations completely highlight the split between order and total chaos. The messy interior of Ryan Hardy's apartment feels very authentic because the empty whiskey bottles and scattered case files match a broken man consumed by his past. A trip over to the giant country safehouse where the cult gathers offers a totally different vibe entirely. The dark wooden halls and Poe references painted on the walls look like a gothic nightmare hidden right in the middle of countryside America. My main complaint involves the high tech FBI command centers used throughout the series. The massive screens displaying instant facial recognition look a bit too slick and modern for a show grounded in gritty psychological terror. The choice to put these paranoid agents in tight isolated farmhouses forces a natural tension that jumps right off the screen.

You really have to listen to the heavy silence to understand the pure dread built into every episode. My ears constantly catch the quiet breathing of a killer hiding inside a dark closet right before a sudden attack occurs. The editing moves at a breakneck speed to keep the plot moving through endless twists and shocking betrayals without giving the audience a second to breathe. We hear a deeply disturbing and atmospheric score composed by John Frizzell, and that choice makes the quiet moments of realization feel incredibly heavy. The sudden sharp sound of a ringing telephone in an empty room actually makes the house feel terrifyingly unsafe.

Let us clear up some common mysteries about this dark crime thriller.

- Is Joe Carroll based on a real serial killer? The character is completely fictional, though the writers drew heavy inspiration from real life cult leaders like Charles Manson and real famous killers who manipulated devoted followers.

- Why did the show receive so much controversy when it aired? Many critics and viewers found the intense violence and realistic depiction of home invasions extremely graphic for standard broadcast network television at the time.

- How many seasons did the series run? The show ran for a total of three intense seasons on Fox before coming to its dramatic conclusion in 2015.

The phenomenal lead acting and the non stop suspense keep me coming back, but I cannot deny that the endless escape subplots get a bit repetitive. Certain security slip ups by the law enforcement officers happen so often that you almost lose your connection to the realistic danger established early on.

Fans of psychological thrillers and crime mysteries will definitely love finding the hidden clues scattered throughout these dark farmhouses. If you think you have the eye to spot the killer in our daily tv shows guessing game or just want a fun break to challenge your memory, test your skills at Flickle. You can challenge your friends and prove your ultimate pop culture knowledge.