It Follows (2015) – Review

Hi Jay, I have your test results back, and I have some bad news for you. Your results show that you have contracted a rare strain of the herpes virus, known as HJC-1, or more recently as ‘It’. Typical symptoms are being pursued by a Michael Myers-esque specter that will follow you relentlessly, albeit slowly. Here are some pamphlets in regards to the moral implications of passing it on to unwitting sexual partners. Please reach out to your campus student support center if you need any additional assistance.

 ** SPOILERS AHEAD**

It Follows has a great concept, let’s take an unstoppable killing machine, make it an STD, invisible to the uninfected and the ability to look like anyone. The titular ‘It’ has the speed of a Romero zombie, completely void of emotion, and a single minded pursuit of its latest target that Skynet would be jealous of. ‘It’ makes for a fantastic antagonist, making the viewer build up the tension as the infected start questioning everything. Like something out of a late night, sleep deprived, fever dream that has you waking up sweat glistened to a sigh of relief.

The framing and cinematography of It Follows is just beautiful, it follows the characters in the same vein as ‘It’, slow and plodding, but never missing anything. Apart of the anxiety of the movie is that you never stop feeling like you are a voyeur, watching people who are unaware of it. Even the characters are being watched by other characters, the movie makes a point of showing young boys peeping in several instances, as well some of the older male characters giving women a predatory leer or a doe eyed longing look.

Detroit and its surrounding area are the setting for the movie, but the time frame is a surreal dream rather than any point in particular. How they managed to make Detroit feel as isolated in its sprawl as they did is a wonder unto itself. Mixing dated clothing styles from bygone eras, showing various movies and shows on 70’s and 80’s cabinet style televisions, and an ever present e-reader adds another dimension to the surreal. Homage is also a big player in regards to the surreal, with a soundtrack and shots that call back to movies like Jaws, Halloween, Alien, and Rear Window. It all comes off as a respectful nod to where horror comes from, rather than out right stealing.

The character development is very subtle, conveying more with looks and body language than with any dialog. We get to watch Jay transition from being pretty carefree, to bitter and world weary, mostly by her facial expressions. The exception to this is the Hugh/Jeff character, he who passes the curse to Jay. His dialog has hints that he has been dealing with ‘It’ a lot longer than he is admitting to, he knows way more than he should if his story is to be believed. I found him almost as menacing as the creature for all his posturing that he was a victim too. As subtle as the direction and acting was, and the entire cast did a great job, I found myself looking for Olivia Luccardi’s character Yara, more often than not. A little silly, a little out of place, with the most humor out of this group of people, she just stuck out for me as a highlight, rather than a background character.

And for all of these points, It Follows just isn’t the sum of its parts to me. I really want to like this film more; it has so much going for it. The homage and nostalgia is right in my wheelhouse for the movies it’s referencing. I think it’s beautifully shot and scored, and the movie lingered with me for days after my initial viewing. Instead of simply singing praise, I keep thinking about how unsatisfied I was with the ending or how the tone of the movie ruined some of the humor that could have made the tension that much more poignant. All-in-all, It Follows did exactly what it set out to do, and I can’t fault it for that, but what it did, didn’t do it for me.