Watch How To Follow Strangers

How To Follow Strangers is a 2013 indie drama film that explores the themes of loneliness, relationships, and the need for human connection. The movie is directed by Chioke Nassor and stars Eunice Anderson, Kevin Barnett, and Hannah Bos in lead roles. The story revolves around a young woman named Ellie (Eunice Anderson), who is struggling with the recent loss of her father. She feels lost and disconnected from the world around her, and to cope with her pain, she starts following strangers in the streets of New York City.

As she follows people, Ellie begins to gather insights into their lives, their relationships, and their daily struggles. She becomes obsessed with a particular man (Kevin Barnett) whom she observes over several days, following him on his daily routine, and watching him from a safe distance. She sees him laughing, crying, and interacting with different people, but does not approach him.

One day, Ellie sees a woman (Hannah Bos) following the same man that she has been observing. She is startled by the woman's presence and tries to confront her, but the woman expresses her own sadness and loneliness, and tells Ellie that she has been following the man for months. The two women bond over their shared sense of isolation and form an unlikely friendship.

Over the course of the movie, Ellie's relationships with the people she follows, and her newfound friend, deepens. She starts to see that each person she's been following has their own private struggles, and realizes that she is not alone in her grief. Through her observations, she learns valuable lessons about the importance of human connection, and how even in a city as large as New York, it's possible to find love and companionship.

The film is shot in a slow, meditative pace, with the characters' emotional states conveyed through their physical actions and the environments they inhabit. The movie's strength lies in its honest, compassionate depiction of loneliness and how people cope with it. The director wisely leaves ample space for silence and introspection, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the characters' lives.

How To Follow Strangers is not a movie for everyone. It requires patience and an open mind to appreciate its subtleties. However, for those willing to take the journey with Ellie, the movie can be a moving, bittersweet experience that highlights the essential nature of human connection.

How To Follow Strangers is a 2013 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0.