It Follows (2015)

With all the praise this film is getting I had to see it. First let me say, this is not a masterpiece and while a good film it’s getting a bit hyped-up by critics. Yet the reason the critics love it, beside it being a well-made independent film, is that it’s deep in metaphor and director David Robert Mitchel uses tension instead of gore and the typical horror tactics most horror films use now a days. You have to praise that kind of intelligence. And as stated, it is a good film. A girl named Jay goes out on a date with her new boyfriend, Hugh. Only after having sex for the first time he chloroforms her. When she awakes he tells her that he passed on a curse to her. An apparition that only she (and others with this curse) can see will out of the blue follow her until it claims her life. This apparition can look like anyone and she will need to have sex with another person to pass the curse on. As long as this curse keeps getting passed on without “it” killing someone, then it will not come back to her. This is a fantastic premise and the scenes of strangers walking toward her, intend on some evil purpose are great. And a star is born in Maika Monroe, who exudes terror and emotional charisma. I also thought Keir Gilchrist was great too, as the younger friend who loves Jay and would do anything to help her. The sound design is also quite unique with its electronica and high pitched squeals. The problem with the film is the premise only holds up for about an hour. Then it starts to feel repetitive. And the climax, which is excellently shot, feels pointless because there is no ground work set up to make you believe this cursed apparition can be killed. What bolsters the quality of this film though isn’t the concept, but the group of Jay’s friends who come across as enduring characters in their own right. Their quirky loyalty and teenage awkwardness makes what could have been a flat film be something wonderful. The metaphor is obviously about sex and the dangers it imposes. It’s a clever way to play off the classic virgin victim cliché. Certainly see this film if you like horror but don’t go in thinking this is the next classic. It’s a good film with some great moments. Grade: B+