People often mix up Christopher Nolan’s first movie with another film called The Believer. It’s easy to see why. Both are dark, intense, independent dramas from the early 2000s. But here’s the truth: Christopher Nolan never made The Believer. That film, released in 2001 and starring Ryan Gosling as a Jewish neo-Nazi, was directed by Henry Bean. Nolan’s real debut? A black-and-white, ultra-low-budget thriller called Following.
What Following Really Was
Following wasn’t just Nolan’s first film - it was a miracle made with almost nothing. He shot it on weekends between 1997 and 1998, using borrowed 16mm cameras, a $6,000 budget, and friends as actors. No studio backing. No crew. Nolan was the writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He even paid his lead actor $200. The film’s runtime? Just 70 minutes. It was shot on Kodak Double-X film, edited on a borrowed Steenbeck flatbed editor during late-night sessions after his day job, and finished over six months of grueling work.It’s not flashy. There are no explosions. No big names. Just a man who follows strangers, gets pulled into a world of theft and deception, and loses control of his own story. The plot moves backward - a trick Nolan would perfect in Memento - and it’s built on tension, not spectacle. The film’s power comes from its restraint. Every frame feels handmade. Every shadow matters. You can see the grain of the film, the flicker of the lights, the sweat of the actors. That’s not a flaw - it’s the point.
Why People Confuse It With The Believer
The Believer came out three years later. It had a $1.8 million budget. It was shot in color. It tackled religion, identity, and hate with brutal clarity. Ryan Gosling’s performance was raw, terrifying, and earned him serious attention. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. It was a statement film - political, emotional, loud.Meanwhile, Following was quiet. It didn’t scream. It whispered. It asked questions about obsession, control, and identity - but it never gave answers. That’s why people mix them up. Both films are about people who lose themselves. Both are dark. Both came from independent filmmakers trying to break through. But the similarities end there. One is a character study with a political edge. The other is a structural experiment in storytelling.
There’s no overlap in crew, cast, or intent. Nolan didn’t even know Henry Bean. They never collaborated. The confusion comes from film fans trying to connect dots that aren’t there. Nolan’s themes - memory, time, obsession - show up in both films, but they’re expressed in totally different ways. The Believer is about belief systems. Following is about how we construct our own reality.
The Impact of Following
Following didn’t make money at the box office - it grossed $245,000 worldwide. But that’s not the point. It made history. It proved you didn’t need millions to make something unforgettable. It showed that a story could be told with just a camera, a few actors, and a clever structure. Roger Ebert gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars, calling it “a virtuous use of limitations.” The British Film Institute later called it “a landmark in narrative experimentation.”It directly led to Nolan getting $4.5 million to make Memento. That film, which came out in 2000, took the same non-linear structure and turned it into a sensation. Critics called it genius. Audiences were stunned. And it all started with a guy shooting on weekends with a borrowed camera.
By 2022, the Library of Congress added Following to the National Film Registry - the first time a micro-budget indie film from the late ’90s was honored for its cultural and aesthetic impact. In 2024, the British Film Institute announced a 4K restoration, set for release in December 2025. That’s not a nostalgia trip. It’s a recognition that this film changed how independent filmmakers think about possibility.
What You’ll See When You Watch It
If you watch Following today, you won’t see polished cinematography. You’ll see flickering streetlights. You’ll hear muffled dialogue from cheap microphones. You’ll notice the same three locations - a flat, a bar, a warehouse - reused over and over. But here’s what you’ll also see: a filmmaker learning how to tell a story in the most efficient way possible. Every cut is deliberate. Every silence has weight. The non-linear timeline isn’t a gimmick - it’s the entire point. The audience is forced to piece things together, just like the main character.Some viewers find it cold. Others find it brilliant. On Letterboxd, it holds a 3.5/5 rating from over 42,000 users. Reddit threads still debate whether the structure works or feels forced. But no one denies its importance. One user wrote: “Shot on weekends for less than $10k, this is how you make an indie film that actually matters - not with gimmicks, but with genuine structural innovation.”
It’s not perfect. The acting is uneven. The pacing drags in places. But those aren’t flaws - they’re artifacts of its making. Nolan didn’t have time to rehearse. He didn’t have money to reshoot. He had to make it work in the moment. That urgency shows. And that’s why it still feels alive.
How Following Changed Independent Film
Before Following, indie films were either art-house experiments or low-budget horror flicks. Nolan proved you could make a smart, complex, psychologically layered thriller with next to nothing. He didn’t wait for permission. He didn’t pitch to studios. He just made it.His approach became a blueprint. Filmmakers across the world started shooting on weekends, using friends, working with whatever gear they could borrow. The American Society of Cinematographers later analyzed how Nolan achieved such clean images on 16mm reversal stock - a technical feat that inspired a generation of DIY cinematographers.
Today, you can find entire YouTube channels breaking down how to shoot like Nolan did in Following. MZed.com has a 47-minute masterclass on his techniques. The Criterion Collection released a Blu-ray in 2018 with Nolan’s own commentary - recorded nearly 20 years after the film was made. He still talks about it like it was yesterday.
Where to Watch It Today
You can’t find Following on Netflix or Hulu. But it’s not hard to get. The Criterion Collection Blu-ray is the best version - crisp, restored, with Nolan’s commentary and behind-the-scenes footage. It costs $39.95. If you’re on a budget, The Criterion Channel streams it for $11/month. You can also rent it on Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.It’s not a movie you watch to be entertained. It’s a movie you watch to understand how film can be made - and why it still matters. It’s a reminder that great storytelling doesn’t need big budgets. It just needs someone who cares enough to do it anyway.
Why This Matters Now
In 2025, with AI-generated content flooding the internet and studios chasing algorithms over art, Following feels more relevant than ever. It’s proof that creativity doesn’t require permission. It doesn’t need approval. It just needs a camera, a story, and the will to finish it.Nolan didn’t become a blockbuster director because he had money. He became one because he started with nothing - and made something unforgettable. The Believer is a great film. But it’s not Nolan’s. Following is. And it’s the real origin story of one of the most important filmmakers of our time.
Did Christopher Nolan direct The Believer?
No, Christopher Nolan did not direct The Believer. The 2001 film was directed by Henry Bean and stars Ryan Gosling. Nolan’s actual debut feature is Following (1998), a black-and-white indie thriller made for $6,000. The confusion likely comes from both films being dark, independent dramas from the same era, but they have no creative connection.
What was Christopher Nolan’s first movie?
Christopher Nolan’s first feature film is Following (1998). He wrote, directed, produced, shot, and edited it himself on a $6,000 budget. It was filmed on weekends over a year using borrowed equipment and non-professional actors. The film premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1998 and led directly to him getting funding for Memento.
How much did Following cost to make?
Following was made for $6,000, entirely funded by Nolan’s salary as a corporate video producer. The budget broke down as $2,000 for film stock, $1,500 for processing, $1,000 for equipment rental, and $1,500 for food, travel, and other small costs. It was shot on 16mm black-and-white reversal film using borrowed cameras and edited on a Steenbeck flatbed editor during nights and weekends.
Is Following worth watching today?
Yes, if you’re interested in how great films are made with minimal resources. It’s not a polished blockbuster - it’s raw, intimate, and structurally bold. It’s a masterclass in economical storytelling. Fans of Nolan’s later work will see the roots of his obsession with time, memory, and identity. Critics and audiences still praise it for its innovation, even 25 years later.
Where can I watch Following legally?
The best version is the Criterion Collection Blu-ray, released in 2018. It includes Nolan’s commentary and restored picture quality. You can also stream it on The Criterion Channel (subscription required) or rent it digitally on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, or Google Play for under $4.
Why is Following in the National Film Registry?
The Library of Congress added Following to the National Film Registry in 2022 because it’s culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant. It’s one of the most influential micro-budget films ever made, proving that complex storytelling doesn’t require big budgets. Its non-linear structure and DIY ethos inspired a generation of independent filmmakers.
If you’re a filmmaker, a film student, or just someone who believes great stories can come from anywhere - watch Following. It’s not just a movie. It’s a manifesto.
