After a bizarre sexual encounter with her boyfriend, Jay (Maika Monroe) finds herself being stalked by a malevolent supernatural entity whose only goal is Jay’s death.
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows is one of the most unsettling and creepy modern day horror films. Eschewing heavy doses of blood and gore, the film wisely relies upon a slow burn and an ever building sense of dread to create suspense. Mitchell’s use of both foreground and background (as well as several 360 degree camera movements) keeps the viewer off kilter, leaving you to wonder from which direction the threat will next manifest itself. It’s an aesthetic choice that definitely works to the film’s advantage.
It Follows evokes the best parts of many other classic and cult horror films without directly copying them. The opening shot brings to mind the street in Haddonfield from Halloween. The languid and almost dreamlike state in which It Follows exists reminds you of films like Phantasm, Session 9, and The Innkeepers. That’s in no way a knock on the movie because it utilizes these elements to create a fresh story and set itself apart from what came before.
The lack of a discernible time period also works in the film’s favor. The children are watching old black and white movies on television and there’s not a cell phone in sight. It Follows works on many levels because it doesn’t utilize technology or any pop references that would ultimately date the film, thereby keeping it relevant and timeless for all generations.
It Follows is not without flaws, however, but they are minimal and perhaps just even my nitpicking on minor aspects of the story. More often than not, I couldn’t help wonder where all the parents were when their children were getting assaulted and even shot and, when they are seen, don’t seem concerned in the least. Also, the characters’ solution to destroying the entity is relatively arbitrary and comes out of left field.
But again, those are minor quibbles that barely detract from the overall effectiveness of the film. If you’re looking for something that will stay with you long after you’ve seen it, It Follows is just the type of movie that will burrow deep into your psyche and gnaw away at it for some time.
It Follows grade: B+
This Old Haunted House 