It Follows
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons
It Follows is the little movie that could. It came out of nowhere, had a tiny theatrical run, but then blew up like an A-bomb, so that theatrical run grew, and grew, and grew. If you are a horror fan, and I know you are because you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already heard all about this film. It was the fright flick of 2014, but was it really all that? Was this a case of a damn good movie getting the recognition it deserved, or hype getting blown out of control? Well now It Follows has come out on Blu-ray and DVD, so is it really that good? IS it worth a get? Well come with me, and keep looking behind you as we go, and let’s find out.
Yes! It is that damn good. It is easily one of the best movies, horror or not, to come out last year.
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, the suspense was killing me.
The story begins in suburban Michigan with a young girl named Jay, her friends, and a new boy she’s dating. It’s pretty typical teen stuff, albeit done very well, up until the night the girl and guy have sex in the backseat of his car. That’s when the horror starts, but not in the way you might at first be thinking. He has passed something on to her with their lovemaking, something deadly, and something that’s hard to get rid of, but easy to pass on. Yes, you don’t have to look very deep for the subtext behind this movie, but that in no way diminishes it. This supernatural STD comes in the form of an invisible entity that only those afflicted can see. It stalks, or follows, its target ceaselessly. While it is not very fast, it never has to stop, rest, or sleep, while the one cursed with it must. This is good, creepy horror at its absolute creepiness. It can look like anyone to the one it follows: an old woman, a normal looking high school student, an apparent victim of rape and murder, and even things far more personal and far worse.
It Follows plays with paranoia and creeping dread as much as it plays with the audience, as you are always looking in the background of scenes, trying to see if anyone is slowly walking towards Jay. It has a timeless quality, as the cars, TVs, and TV shows are all old, but there are cellphones and a girl with an eReader. It feels and looks like a horror film from the 80s, and that’s a very good thing in my book, and the soundtrack reinforced that impression with its wonderful synthesizer sound. It also has a collection of good characters, good as in how they are written, acted, and portrayed. One of my biggest gripes with most modern horror movies are the unlikable characters I don’t care about in the least, so when they start to get bumped off, I feel nothing. These kids are likable and so I want them to escape this with their lives intact. Last but not least is the direction of David Robert Mitchell that shows a lot of talent and promise for more to come. I’m not the first critic to compare him to a John Carpenter when the older man was young and still had a fire inside him, and I won’t be the last.
As for the extras on this new Blu-ray from Anchor Bay, there is some good stuff here, but like this movie, they are a little different, not that different is bad. There is an audio commentary track, but not with anyone involved in the movie. Instead it is a critic’s commentary featuring six internet critics, and while I thought it was pretty good, it was still an odd choice. There a five minute interview with the man called “Disasterpeace” who did the wonderful music for this movie. A poster art gallery and theatrical trailer can also be found here.
It Follows lives up to the hype. It is something new, exceptionally well done in all aspects, beautiful to watch, and frightening as hell. So far it is my favorite movie of 2015 and there are no signs of it losing that top spot. I cannot say enough good things about it, so let me just say that it is beyond highly recommended. This is a must have. Get it.
