While it does start out a little slow, It Follows evolves into a unique horror thriller that is really the best commercial for abstinence I've ever seen. It treats hauntings as STD's, with the spirit latching itself onto you after the deed has been done, so to speak. While it is a terrifying way to acquire a ghost, it is also an excellent gimmick for a low budget horror film.
The cast is not the most developed group of characters. Apart from Jay (Maika Monroe), we know very little about the supporting characters apart from they enjoy hanging out with Jay. However, given that the movie is from Jay's perspective, it doesn't harm the film in any substantial way. The creature itself is quite alarming, as there is no clear form for it. It can disguise itself as anyone and will not stop following its prey until they are dead. There are several scenes in the film that made the hair on my neck stand up and the climax in the swimming pool is really quite tense. While I wouldn't say this film broke new ground in the realm of horror, it does provide some unique scares and is a breath of fresh air. It abandons the typical "gore is more" attitude of modern horror in favor of a classic approach in which your imagination creates the fear. For that, it gets high marks and comes recommended. |
It Follows was a good, minimalist horror film that, while I didn't find it as terrifying as it was made out to be, proved to be a good time. The film works surprisingly well as a sexual metaphor and the dangers of STDs when one freely sleeps around. Basically, if you don't want a supernatural entity that constantly follows you with intentions to kill you, be careful with who you sleep with.
While the cast isn't some of the most well developed group of characters, apart from them being friends of Jay, the actors do a very good job in the role. Even with their limited screen time, they do good work and, at least, give us believable characters. As for the main character, Jay, Maika Monroe does a great job in the role. She brings the right amount of innocence and fear to the part and has you rooting for her to make it out somehow. The title creature itself was actually quite frightening. The idea that it never stops following and can take any form it wants makes it that much more scary as you never know where it is. I also liked that the creature is never given any backstory as it harkens back to old school horror films, with their belief that less is more. There were several scenes that had me yelling at the screen as I watched the creature slowly approach the protagonist, without her realizing. It's nice to see more original, unique, and good horror films coming out in recent years. Luckily, It Follows continues that trend. While it didn't live up to the hype of how scary it was for me, which could largely contribute to me having seen way too many horror films now, this was still a solid movie. It had a fantastic underlying message and went for a more creepy less is more approach. A good little horror film that I recommend to anyone. |