Following

How this film uses it

The story is cut into separate timelines and shuffled together. You see Bill meeting Cobb, Bill deep in the burglaries and Bill after it has gone wrong, all out of order. You keep fitting the pieces together, and the order hides how Bill is being played.

Where to see it

The opening at the police station. Bill starts telling his story, and the film jumps between his first days following people and later scenes where he looks completely different.

How this film uses it

Bill tells the whole story to a policeman, sure that it explains his part in the burglaries. By the end, his confession is what traps him. Cobb planned for it, and the murder points straight at Bill.

Where to see it

The end of Bill's confession. The police link the Blonde's murder to the hammer Bill used earlier, while Cobb has vanished.

How this film uses it

Nolan shot on black-and-white 16mm film with a handheld camera and whatever light came through the windows. The cast and crew had day jobs, so they filmed on weekends over about a year. The rough look makes the break-ins feel like you're sneaking in with them.

Where to see it

The first break-in with Cobb. The camera follows them through a stranger's flat as Cobb goes through the owner's private things.

How this film uses it

The film starts with watching. Bill picks strangers in the street and trails them, and the camera follows from behind him. You're spying along with him, which makes you a little complicit.

Where to see it

Bill on following. In voiceover, he explains how he picked strangers out of the crowd and trailed them through London.

How this film uses it

In the earliest scenes, Bill has long messy hair and scruffy clothes. Later, he has short hair and a dark suit. Because the timelines are shuffled, his look works as your clock.

Where to see it

Bill's makeover. He cuts his hair, starts wearing a dark suit and calls himself Daniel Lloyd, and from then on the new look tells you which part of the story you're in.