Chris Ott, an Ohio State alum, is in the process of creating his first feature-length film, “He Who Follows.” Credit: Courtesy of Chris Ott
Chris Ott, an Ohio State alum, is gearing up to create his first feature-length film — a horror film set and shot in Columbus, titled “He Who Follows.”
According to Ott, the film follows Bella Blackwood, who struggles with anxiety and people-pleasing tendencies, as she and five of her friends take a weekend trip to a remote cabin. Their retreat, intended to give them a chance to unwind from the pressures of life, takes a turn when a killer targets them, forcing the girls to fight for survival as they attempt to escape the killer and his games.
“Our villain deals with it as well as our main protagonist,” Ott said. “He’s playing games with them and he’s toying with them until a certain point, and then it becomes a classic 1980s slasher almost.”
Ott said “He Who Follows” takes inspiration from staple films in the slasher genre. He said he wanted to create a villain that carries more depth than the typical antagonist in these films would.
“I wanted a deeper back story, similar to how Christopher Nolan does his movies,” Ott said. “ [The villain] is kind of a mix of ‘Halloween,’ ‘Scream,’ Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ movies and ‘Friday the 13th.’”
Wyatt Harris, the actor portraying the villain, is also a novice in the production, as this is his first lead role in a feature film. Ott said he and Harris have worked together on previous projects, which is what led Ott to cast Harris for the role.
Harris said the villain has similar characteristics to Frank, the main antagonist in the psychological thriller, “Donnie Darko.”
“In one of the scenes in the movie, [Frank] stands outside of a window, and the kid looking outside asks ‘What do you want?’” Harris said. “[Frank] looks and points at him and says ‘You.’ So [the villain is] kinda a character like that — you’re not hurting anyone, but you’re subtle and you’re scary.”
Ott said the film will have tropes that horror and slasher fans are familiar with, but also twists that will make it feel fresh and help it stand out from other films in the genre.
Ott said the film only has a budget of $35,000, which is small compared to that of most films people would see in theaters.
Harris said he is excited to work with Ott, and with their prior history, he knows Ott has the capabilities to produce a great film despite the small budget.
“I’ve seen him do his own work — he’s never directed this kind of work before, but I am really confident that he’s going to do really well with it,” Harris said. “A big thing for me when working with someone is liking them not only for their work, but also the kind of person that they are.”
Ott said he wants the audience to understand the villain’s perspective by seeing his side of the story and understanding the motivation behind his actions.
“I think it’s really important, it allows you to see where he came from and his perspective on the whole thing as opposed to just being one sided,” Ott said. “You want a more three dimensional version. It sounds weird to say, but hopefully the audience can connect with him in some way, hopefully not the serial killer type of way, but it adds more to the plot and usually makes for a better movie.”
Danielle Meyer, a producer for the film, said the film’s budget, while small, can still lead to a great product.
“Filmmaking at its core is about the story,” Meyer said in an email. “It’s about quality and story at the end of the day.”
Ott said he looks to grow from this film and hopes the audience can see how he makes the most for a film with such a low budget; he said he is also open to criticism, positive or negative.
“The biggest thing for me is I’m using this as a massive learning experience, and in addition to that, I am trying to push the bar in terms of what you can do with a low budget film,” Ott said. “I’m also going to be very open to feedback. If someone says ‘It sucks,’ please tell me why it sucks. If someone says ‘I really liked it, but what about this?’ Well, maybe that’s a question I can answer in a sequel if that happens.”
Ott said his advice for aspiring filmmakers is to take the leap.
“Just do it, find a way to do it, if you have an idea for a sci-fi or horror movie — just start writing it,” Ott said.
Ott said he hopes to begin filming in spring 2026, with a local premiere slated for fall or winter that year.
More information on the film can be found on the film’s website.
