Them That Follow
Pacific Northwest Pictures | Release Date: August 2, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
11
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperAug 15, 2019
Them That Follow is a harrowing and chilling deep dive into an isolated community in the Appalachian mountains. Read full review
80
TheWrapCarlos AguilarFeb 2, 2019
The filmmakers let the story slither at its own rhythm, so that the magnitude of the psychological control can be fully exposed. To accomplish that, their superb cast guides the film through a poisonous doctrine taken not from the pages of imagination but from real American folklore. Read full review
80
VarietyAmy NicholsonFeb 2, 2019
In the last act, Poulton and Savage’s long fuse explodes, and they get to prove they’ve made a hell of a picture. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCary DarlingAug 7, 2019
The film is exquisitely acted, with Englert making Mara’s emotional pain real. It’s reminiscent of Jennifer Lawrence’s breakout role in “Winter’s Bone,” which was set in a similar geographic area. Throw in equally strong performances from Goggins, Colman and especially Mann, and the lean, stark Them That Follow ends up packing quite a punch. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzAug 2, 2019
The acting and filmmaking are so much more imaginative than the script (which also falls into the rookie trap of mistaking a lack of humor for seriousness) that in the end, this feels like a dry run for something deeper and more daring. Read full review
70
Film ThreatAlex SavelievAug 8, 2019
Them That Follow is a dark and richly atmospheric experience. Despite its missteps, this is one snake-infested cinematic pit worth investigating. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzAug 7, 2019
Them That Follow is a tough slog, no doubt. But it’s also a worthwhile one, even if you might appreciate it more than you’ll enjoy it. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 1, 2019
A film as atmospheric as its title, Them That Follow is an ambitious and impressive independent production, where the creation of mood and place is so convincing it enables us to buy into a richly melodramatic plot about a taboo romance. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerAug 7, 2019
While never screaming its message, the script by first-time feature directors Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage still finds a way to damn the sin more than the sinner. Read full review
67
IndieWireKate ErblandAug 1, 2019
After a slow-burn first hour, Poulton and Savage unfurl a climax that unexpectedly brings together all of the pieces fighting for Mara. It’s nerve-jangling and raw, and the filmmakers earn their tension and the gruesome harm that comes with it. (There are plenty of snakes.) All that goodwill comes close to collapse, however, as Poulton and Savage charge toward the finale. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 8, 2019
Them That Follow is “Winter’s Bone” with snake-handlers. It’s a quiet thriller that suggests that the form the violence takes in such remote communities may be different, but its sources can be identical. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeMarella GaylaAug 7, 2019
The snake stuff is riveting — how could it not be? But Poulton and Madison Savage’s treatment of the rural community tilts toward the anthropological: A few corny bits of dialogue can make the parishioners feel like types instead of characters. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinFeb 2, 2019
The cast commit gamely to the material, although the script is a bit underwritten, making sudden shifts in character a little odd and a bit random. Read full review
60
Screen DailyTim GriersonFeb 2, 2019
As grimly gripping as Them That Follow is, the proceedings have a stacked-deck quality to them, which keeps this compelling tale from being truly galvanising. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeJul 31, 2019
Perhaps that’s why, despite some skillful scene-setting and committed supporting performances, Them That Follow is lifeless enough that small inconsistencies in accents, costuming, and set dressing appear more significant than they would in a more, well, thrilling thriller. Read full review
50
Washington PostTravis DeShongAug 7, 2019
Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever and Jim Gaffigan round out a talented yet crowded ensemble cast, which has so many principal characters — all flawed in a different way — that the filmmakers are unable at times to devote the attention that each one deserves. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter TraversJul 31, 2019
The swerve into bizarre melodrama in the final third knocks the film permanently off course, reducing a potentially rich examination of religious extremism into a missed opportunity. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineJake ColeJul 29, 2019
Unfortunately, the care with which the filmmakers set up Them That Follow’s context and their characters crumbles in the final act. Read full review
45
The AtlanticDavid SimsJun 20, 2019
While the film tries to be a shocking window into another world, it plays more like an agog piece of tourism. Read full review
42
The Film StageJordan RaupFeb 4, 2019
Them That Follow has a compelling hook, but what’s left is nothing but an unfortunately wasted opportunity. Read full review
40
The TelegraphTim RobeyNov 29, 2019
If it weren’t for the stifling earnestness about patriarchal dogma, you could mistake it for M. Night Shyalaman’s The Village given some kind of vague off-Broadway workshopping, and regurgitated minus the twist. Read full review
40
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisAug 1, 2019
We learn so little about these characters or the forces that shaped them that we’re never drawn into their drearily blinkered world. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeFeb 2, 2019
It’s competently made but utterly vacant, a forgettable indie fading fast. Read full review
More From This Movie

57 Critic Reviews

5.8 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL