A movie about a sexually transmitted demon. I swear, they should really show this movie in some sort of Sex Ed class; it will thoroughly get the point across.
Don't worry horror fans, the Annabelle's and Ouija's of the world can't hurt you anymore. From writer/director David Robert Mitchell comes a horror film centered around Jay- a nice, attractive, young girl with her whole life ahead of her. However, after having sex for the first time with her mysterious boyfriend, she discovers that he passed a curse on to her that causes a terrifying entity to follow her wherever she goes. No one else can see it, no one can help. It can take any form. The only way to survive is to pass it on to someone else, or run- if it catches you,
you're dead.
Let's begin with the negative feelings I have towards the film. From the get-go, this premise sounds relatively preachy and peculiar. It's executed wonderfully, but when analyzed deeply, it's just a small little metaphor for AIDS- nothing more, nothing less. It Follows can be appreciated as an ambitious piece of artful cinema, but not so much as a coherent narrative. Occasionally the complete subversion of expectations and diversion from the formulaic horror movie story structure works against the film instead of in it's favor. But in the end, one can't help but fall in love with it's retro-style approach to the material. Novice director David R. Mitchell is clearly influenced by the late 70's- early 80's style of film making. It harkens back to a time when horror movies were directed by Academy Award Winner Stanley Kubrick or legendary film director Brian De Palma, and not by a soulless movie studio hoping to make a couple bucks. There are some real, genuinely well-crafted shots in the film. It reminds you how innovative one can be with a camera. The actors all do their jobs well. No character seems cliched, however, this somewhat works against the film since no one was extremely memorable either. The sound design was average for a movie with this low of a budget, but it excels when it comes to my favorite aspect of It Follows- the score. That freaking amazing score. It's retro roots are seen most in the film's Carpenter-esque soundtrack that is simultaneously beautiful and haunting. Overall, It Follows was a nice little trip to the theaters. It didn't keep me up all night, but it certainly kept me entertained. The fresh story structure is admirable while also a little off-putting, but there is so much to enjoy in It Follows that I'm willing to forgive most of it's flaws. Final grade- B+
Let's begin with the negative feelings I have towards the film. From the get-go, this premise sounds relatively preachy and peculiar. It's executed wonderfully, but when analyzed deeply, it's just a small little metaphor for AIDS- nothing more, nothing less. It Follows can be appreciated as an ambitious piece of artful cinema, but not so much as a coherent narrative. Occasionally the complete subversion of expectations and diversion from the formulaic horror movie story structure works against the film instead of in it's favor. But in the end, one can't help but fall in love with it's retro-style approach to the material. Novice director David R. Mitchell is clearly influenced by the late 70's- early 80's style of film making. It harkens back to a time when horror movies were directed by Academy Award Winner Stanley Kubrick or legendary film director Brian De Palma, and not by a soulless movie studio hoping to make a couple bucks. There are some real, genuinely well-crafted shots in the film. It reminds you how innovative one can be with a camera. The actors all do their jobs well. No character seems cliched, however, this somewhat works against the film since no one was extremely memorable either. The sound design was average for a movie with this low of a budget, but it excels when it comes to my favorite aspect of It Follows- the score. That freaking amazing score. It's retro roots are seen most in the film's Carpenter-esque soundtrack that is simultaneously beautiful and haunting. Overall, It Follows was a nice little trip to the theaters. It didn't keep me up all night, but it certainly kept me entertained. The fresh story structure is admirable while also a little off-putting, but there is so much to enjoy in It Follows that I'm willing to forgive most of it's flaws. Final grade- B+
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