FOLLOWERS

Year: 2000
USA: Castle Hill Productions
Cast: Sam Trammell, Eddie Robinson, Jerry Laurino, Mark Dobies, Jessica Prunell, Willie C Carpenter, Carol Clarke, Teja Frank, Piper Perabo, Marino Wecer, Steve Moreno
Director: Jonathan M Flicker
Country: USA
USA: 87 mins
USA Release Date: 13 October 2000 (Limited Release - New York)
USA Release Date: 27 October 2000 (Limited Release - Los Angeles)

Synopsis

Inspired by an actual racially motivated fraternity hazing incident, FOLLOWERS is a provocative, powerful, and thought provoking drama about the overwhelming desire to belong.

Set at the fictitious Harrington College campus, freshman John Dietrich (Sam Trammell) strongly believes that he'll make lifelong friends and connections if he joins a fraternity. With his two new friends, Steven Trayer (Eddie Robinson) and Allen Phillips (Jerry Laurino), John rushes the exclusive fraternity KPL. The three of them become close friends, referring to themselves as the three musketeers. John idolizes the charming fraternity president Jake Tyler (Mark Dobies) and desperately wants to emulate him, describing Jake as a person "he always wanted to be."

The tight-knit friendship disintegrates when Steve is not accepted into the fraternity because he is black. Jake immediately targets Steve through a series of dangerous and racially motivated hazing incidents aimed at testing the loyalty of John and Allen. John is caught between his loyalty to his best friend Steve, and to his desire to belong to the fraternity. Both Steve, and John's girlfriend Cynthia Gordon (Jessica Prunell), warn John about Jake's dangerous side, but John refuses to listen. A rift forms between John and Allen, as Allen becomes a pawn of Jake while John struggles with his conscience. John reluctantly goes along with the racist hazing events until they get out of control.