Them That Follow Review
NR
The Orchard, Amasia Entertainment, G-BASE
1 Hr and 38 Minutes
Writers/Directors: Britt Poulton, Dan Madison Savage
Cast: Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, Jim Gaffigan, Walton Goggins, Thomas Mann, Lewis Pullman
Snake handlers are spiritual renegades belonging to an obscure, but growing, sect of American Pentecostalism: part of a century-old tradition of worshipping with venomous snakes during church services. Seeing themselves as the vanguards of salvation in a morally bankrupt world, these fundamentalists put their lives on the line — each and every week — to prove themselves before God. Them That Follow is a dramatic thriller that explores this dangerous and unseen way of life, deep in the wilds of Appalachia, telling the story of a pastor’s daughter who holds a secret that threatens to tear her father’s church apart.
Good ol’ Walton Goggins.
He can’t stray too far from roles where he plays a country dude. It’s like Keira Knightley and period pieces: they’re inseparable. In this period drama, he plays a pastor named Lemuel who runs this Snake handling church as part of their Christian religion. The way he conducts himself when he’s on this high pedestal delivering sermons is very entrancing that you nearly buy into it because of his charismatic character. Walton Goggins would definitely be one hell of a motivational speaker if he’d wanted to be one.
The film focuses on his daughter, Mara, who is caught up in a love triangle between the boy she loves and the boy who is supposed to be in love with her. It may sound basic, but what makes this story interesting is the American Pentecostalism that surrounds her town and its functionality intertwining with her situation. The only person who isn’t onboard with the rest of the town is Augie, the boy that Mara feels a true emotional connection to despite the fact that she’s been betrothed to Garret.
This is the second time I’ve seen Alice Englert in a feature and honestly she deserves to be in more. Mara is a very quiet character and that’s mostly due to the unfortunate insignificant role of women in the community, but the hardships she faces through the story makes you resonate with her. The story is presented through her point of view and her timidness adds a layer to the mystery surrounding her forbidden romance. Through her performance you analyze Mara's inner turmoil of believing what’s best for her community and the life set for her and her heart. Her conflict clashing with how she’s characterized is the main core of the story. For this religious cult being all she was raised on, her actions express more than words do.
The mystery may be way too obvious if you’ve seen any given romance movie ever, but the religious backdrop and the setting elevates the drama. The love triangle may be generic and predictable, but because of how it contextually weaves into this cult, it’s effectively engaging. I mean, you have Jesus freaks, but what if Jesus freaks incorporated SNAKES into their sermon? The oddest thing about this is that, this snake handling Christianity was a thing the film does a great job enlightening you on the details of the community. As a Jehovah Witness turned atheist, not only was my initial reaction upon looking this up was “HOLY SHIT THIS ACTUALLY USED TO EXIST?!” but also made me feel validated on my personal debunking of religion. I mean Christianity takes many shapes and forms and this…..was one of them? Directors Britt Poulton & Dan Madison Savage did a fantastic job digging deep into this faded out sect and integrating it to an enticing narrative.
While Goggins steals the show entirely whenever he’s present, the entire cast is great and delivers amazing performances. You got ACADEMY AWARD WINNER OLIVIA COLMAN and by God she’s amazing. For a British actress, she nails the distinct country accent and the cadence that goes with it. Plus, she has this energy that is so intensive to watch, for she’s the mother of Augie and a true believer in the serpent church... and the only one who knows Mara’s secret.
The film has a quiet atmosphere given its setting and the score, but it never feels dull because you want to see the functions of the cult. As the film progresses, the story becomes more intense. As you see the rituals play out, the sequences become genuinely pulse-pounding and keep you at the edge of your seat.
As mentioned, the romance is very blatant, but the central characters involved are at least consistent. The supporting characters, on the other hand, like Augie’s mom where at first she’s just witnessing this drama firsthand, changes for the worst. You see a progression of her arc as she becomes more involved in Mara’s predicament, but by the third act, when you would think there’s some pivot, she reverts back to the Jesus-crazed persona the entire town abides by.
So, the cast is great, but one character is kind of wasted and deserved both a bigger role and more screen time and that’s Jim Gaffigan.
Whenever there is a scene of Goggins delivering a sermon, you see Gaffigan in the audience and it takes you out of the experience. Like, “wait… is that Jim Gaffigan?” His role is very small given what his character is, but for the most part he’s not even present.
While the romance plot is interesting because of the religious backdrop, I wish it was more elaborated upon. It also makes you ask further questions regarding its origin, such as, “Who started this cult? How does it manage to stay active? Is it just this town or is it more widespread that we think?” Not many people are aware of this sect that once existed (or probably do to this day) so while the setting benefits the major narrative, I wanted a tad bit more of this community.
Them That Follow has an interesting concept which is used for a very generic narrative, but the emotionally strong performances and the genuinely intense sequences give this drama enough heft.
Rating 3/5 | 67%
Super Scene: Mara’s Serpent Evaluation.
