…..
Tring-!
Tring-!Tring-!
Keanu stood at the doorstep al's home e office, his finger pressing against the doorbell stantly.
"...."
A few seds of silence passed.
And just as he was about to reach for the button again -
"Calm down, why are you in such a hurry?" Seren's voice chimed in his ear, ced with impatience as his as.
Look at yourself before saying that, Keanu shot Seren a sharp look, biting back the obvious retort.
Her breathing was slightly uneven - a clear sign of how fast they had rushed over. The so-called urgency of the hey carried had propelled them here without a sed thought.
Even so, her words made him pause.
His pulse was hammering, sweat on his forehead, but beh the adrenaline was something bigger - something too overwhelming to tain.
Excitement.
Relief.
Pure, unfiltered joy.
And he o share it with the one root cause for all of this.
Creak–!
"REGAL! We did-!"
Keanu barely got the words out before Seren yanked him back by the colr and cmped a hand over his mouth.
Because the person who had opehe door wasn't Regal.
More precisely - it was a woman with her blond hair tied up.
"Good m, Gwendolyn." Sereed smoothly, ign Keanu's muffled protests aless fidgeting. "Is Regal home?"
Keanu, momentarily stunned by the interruption and yanked by his neck, tried to mumble something under his breath.
"Fuc-!" He was about to murmur a curse.
"Language, Keanu." Seren warned lightly, removing her hand just as he straightened up, pretending he hadn't said anything at all.
Meanwhile, Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly against the doorframe.
Her gaze flickered between Keanu's barely-taiement and Seren's more posed, if not slightly breathless, demeanor.
Ohought crossed her mind - they look cute together.
"…Yes, m, Seren. And, Keanu." Gwendolyed them with a knowing smile.
Momentarily, her eyes flickered briefly to the neer clutched in Keanu's hands - and just so she uood what this was about.
"He is sleeping." She added, stepping aside to let them in.
"…Sleeping?" Keanu echoed, fused.
?!!
But the realization hit him almost immediately.
From the time he had e to knal, he had always and only talked about either scripts, ema… or occasionally food.
He had barely seen him sleep for six hours a day - itting himself into every aspect of the film.
Even st week was the same - movie promotions, proposing ideas, monit every detail, and making sure nothing slipped through the cracks.
He could guess that Regal had done his best until the very st moment and had only stopped yesterday when the film finally hit theaters.
Of course, he would be exhausted.
Keaated, unknown guilt creeping in.
He knew how much Regal his rest.
But the success, the reition, the praise they are finally receiving - he wao share all this excitement.
….
Keanu, Seren, and Gwendolyled outside Regal's actual ft - the same room that was used for reading the sessions of the movie.
They had decided not to disturb him.
Seren's gaze drifted to Gwendolyn, who had just returned with three coffee cups on a tray, handing oo both her and Keanu before taking one for herself.
While taking one for herself.
Despite the fact that she was already informed of their dating, it was only yesterday that Seren had officially met Gwendolyn - her 'big brother's' girlfriend.
She still found it a bit of a spectacle… How did he, of all people, mao rope in someone like her?
That being said, she wasn't particurly surprised to find Gwendolyn here.
If anything, it made sense.
Meanwhile, Keanu took a sip of his coffee, letting the warmth settle his nerves before carefully unfolding the bundle of neers with anticipation.
"Sooo… excited about something?" Gwendolyn was the first to break the silence, her face half-hidden behind her coffee cup.
"...Yeah." Keanu replied, his grip on the paper tightening slightly. "The movie got some good reviews, so I wao see them with Regal."
Gwendolyn hummed knowingly. She had been doing the same, sing every article, lurking in forums, keeping track of any discussion surrounding the film.
"Huh, only with Regal? You are not going to share it with me?" She teased, fshing a grin.
"It isn't like that, Miss Gwen–!"
"Just Gwendolyn. Or I wouldn't mind if it's Big Sis too." She corrected him smoothly, cutting him off before he could finish.
Keaated for a sed. The words big sis felt way ton. Especially sidering he had only met her for the first time yesterday.
But Gwendolyn had a way of getting close to people a little too fast if she wao.
He g with a quiet mutter. "…It isn't like that, Gwendolyn."
"*cough…" Seren's very deliberate fake cough made them pause.
Unfortunately, Gwendolyn wasn't oo let an opportunity slip by.
"Aww, don't get jealous, Seren." She turned her attention to the irl with a sly smile. "You call me 'big sis' too. In fact, you are the first oo me."
"...." Seren blinked.
She sidered herself arovert in every sense of the word, but even she had to admit she couldn't quite match the woman sitting in front of her.
So again, how did this woman end up falling for her not-so-extroverted and unruly brother?
Before Seren could dwell on that thought any further, Gwendolyn suddenly stood up from her seat.
"Well the's see what these so-called critics are saying."
With no further warning, Gwendolyn effortlessly settled, squeezing into the space between them, eyes flig to the neer as if she had been part of this versation from the very start.
====
Rex Reed – New York Observer:
"A masterstroke of psychological suspense - every frame drips with unease."
Rex Reed praises the film's intricate storytelling and the way it immerses the audien a world of paranoia aion. He highlights how the film pnts subtle clues about Cobb's true form, making it a rewarding experience for keen-eyed viewers.
Keanu Reeves, in his striki as Cobb, is especially mesmerizing.
His performance exudes effortless charm, making his character all the more uling upoch. The way he pys someoh dangerously persuasive and utterly intangible is nothing short of remarkable.
"With its razor-sharp writing and hypnotision, [Following] solidifies itself as an unfettable psychological thriller."
"But beyond the film itself, it's impossible to ighe impact of Stephen Hawking as its presenter. His long-awaited return adds a level of prestige, making this debut from an unknown cast and director feel like an instant cssic."
====
"…'Mesmerizing' and 'remarkable,' huh?" Gwendolyn mused, reading aloud another excerpt while shooting Keanu a teasing gnce.
She turhe page, sing it briefly before reading out a few more highlights. Keanu and Seren both leaned in slightly, their eyes following the paper as Gwendolyn tinued.
"Um-hum, it looks like you really have been making waves aing praised from all dires."
Keanu coughed lightly, pretending to focus on his drink. "I-It's just one review."
"Haa… don't be shy."
====
Richard Roeper – Chicago Sun-Times:
"A rare colorful noir style masterpiece - tense, gripping, and filled with jaw-dropping reveals."
He specifically appuds the ematographer's baween realism and paranoia, making the audience feel just as trapped as the protagonist. ====
Gwendolyn that, her eyes sing the review.
He is right, she thought, remembering the incredible ematography. It really did make her feel trapped.
====
Peter Travers – Rolling Stone:"Arifying mind-behat will make you questioy itself."Peter Travers celebrates the film's ability to reward multiple viewings, calling it one of the most cleverly crafted psychological thrillers of the decade.
The yers of deception woven into Keanu's performance make Cobb a character you think you uand - until you don't.
As frace, the female lead, Travers ends not only her beauty but also her spot-on performance.
"Few films pull off a twist that redefines everything before it, but this one does with surgical precision."====
Manoh Dargis – The New York Times:"A mesmerizing dest into obsessioion, and fractured identity."Manoh Dargis praises the film's meticulous pag, allowing tension to build with each se.
"The final shot will leave you reeling. But beyond its storytelling, this film is a statement - a debut that proves its young director and actors are forces to be reed with. It's rare for a film with ablished stars to feel this gripping."====
David Ehrlich – IndieWire:"A thriller that dares you to rewatch it - and rewards you for doing so."David Ehrlich focuses on the film's narrative structure, highlighting how each se is filled with clues that only bee obvious upon a sed viewing.
"The fact that this is a debut film is almost shog - there's a level of detail I only notiy sed watg that was nothing short of astounding. The hints were right in front of the audience from the start, yet no oiced them because of the brilliance of the ematography. A particur mirror shot during one of the brawls was so obvious, but every mome deliberate. While the director and actors certainly deserve immense credit, let's not fet Stephen Hawking's tribution. His involvement added a level of prestige that elevated the entire project."====
Just then the door to the room opened.
Creak—!
The door swung open, revealing Regal walking out from the room, looking like he had barely gotten out of bed.
His hair was a mess, his hoodie slightly askew, and his eyes carried the unmistakable haze of someone who had been glued to a s for way too long.
Keanu's eyes lit up immediately.
"Regal!" He started, his voice brimming with emotion, before cutting himself off.
Regal bli them, eyes shiftiween Keanu's barely taihusiasm and Seren's exasperated sigh and Gwendolyn sittiweeh of them.
"…You two are here?" He finally asked, feeling all the fatigue wash away.
.
….
[To be tinued…]
★─────??★??─────★
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