by Kerri Anne McNally
Since its Sundance Festival premiere in 2014, It Follows has been gaining critic praise left, right and centre. And deservedly so! With its release out this week, we can’t help but urge you to watch this modern horror flick.
Director David Robert Mitchell’s piece is brilliantly original. After 19 year old Jay’s date goes wrong, she discovers that a mysterious curse has been passed on to her. She begins to experience visions and the feeling that she is being followed wherever she goes. But only she can see these deadly pursuers. No other horror film has taken that twist on the classic teen slasher flick before.
Since its Sundance Festival premiere in 2014, It Follows has been gaining critic praise left, right and centre. And deservedly so! With its release out this week, we can’t help but urge you to watch this modern horror flick.
Director David Robert Mitchell’s piece is brilliantly original. After 19 year old Jay’s date goes wrong, she discovers that a mysterious curse has been passed on to her. She begins to experience visions and the feeling that she is being followed wherever she goes. But only she can see these deadly pursuers. No other horror film has taken that twist on the classic teen slasher flick before.
The connotations of this curse are refreshingly modern – it’s being ‘passed on’ like a sexual transmitted disease, which is a new fear for the more sexual educated world of today. This fear of ‘catching’ something from having sex links back to that old horror movie convention of, (ahem) you have sex, you die. The idea of being followed is an old one and is used to varying success in horror movies, modern and past,, but this film does it chillingly. It’s not terrifying, and only has one or two moments where they lower themselves for an easy jump tactic, but it keeps you thinking. It stays with you for a while after watching (“I wonder next time I have some fun, will I start seeing people that no one else can?”)
Like Nightmare on Elm Street, it bats for the long psychological game rather than the short physical leaps of fright.
Maika Monroe, who held her own opposite Dan Stevens in The Guest, once again owns the screen as lead character Jay. She perfectly portrays the array of emotions that anyone would through when realizing you’re being followed. And been given a mysterious sex death curse. We’d imagine. She’s an incredible actress and will be going to high places. She’s reminiscent of a young Brittany Murphy in ‘Don’t Say A Word’.
Like Nightmare on Elm Street, it bats for the long psychological game rather than the short physical leaps of fright.
Maika Monroe, who held her own opposite Dan Stevens in The Guest, once again owns the screen as lead character Jay. She perfectly portrays the array of emotions that anyone would through when realizing you’re being followed. And been given a mysterious sex death curse. We’d imagine. She’s an incredible actress and will be going to high places. She’s reminiscent of a young Brittany Murphy in ‘Don’t Say A Word’.
The other thing that was noticeably great in the film was the cinematography. Some of the wide shots were gorgeous. There were definite stylistic choices - beautifully shot warm scenes and then sharp cuts to cold, harsh violent environments – which kept you on edge throughout. The slow zooms lent well to the creepy nature of the film and there were also two very deliberate 360 rotating shots, with no cuts, which were a great choice and built the tension nicely. In some ways it felt like the horror genre’s version of ‘Drive’.
Speaking of, the score for It Follows was spectacular. It added to the atmosphere whilst also rising above the film itself, similar to Maika’s other recent film The Guest and, of course, Drive. The tone was very early 90s synth which was different to many other horror movies’ go to – the traditional Psycho EEK EEK scratching.
Overall it’s definitely worth watching if you want something unique and chilling. Maybe not if you just want the standard blockbuster horror scare – which, come on, is so overdone by now.
You NEED It Follows.
Speaking of, the score for It Follows was spectacular. It added to the atmosphere whilst also rising above the film itself, similar to Maika’s other recent film The Guest and, of course, Drive. The tone was very early 90s synth which was different to many other horror movies’ go to – the traditional Psycho EEK EEK scratching.
Overall it’s definitely worth watching if you want something unique and chilling. Maybe not if you just want the standard blockbuster horror scare – which, come on, is so overdone by now.
You NEED It Follows.
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