It Follows

A great movie for all those horror fans..

* spoilers * Jay Height is a college student in Michigan. The first date with her new boyfriend Hugh goes well, expect he seems freaked out by a girl he describes but Jay can't see. The second date, they have sex in Hugh's car. Jay feels wonderful about it, but Hugh knocks her out right afterwards. She wakes up still in her underwear tied to a wheelchair with Hugh rambling about someone who will follow her. A nude woman approaches her and Hugh seems satisfied, releasing her from her bonds and unceremoniously dumping her in front of her house. Jay reports the incident and tries to forget about it, but at night, someone breaks into her house, changes form, and chases her. She knows it's something more than the ravings of a madman and resolves to seek him out to get more answers. It Follows is a complex horror film that made a big splash last year when it was released into mainstream theaters. Its strengths are its unique world and the varied subjective meanings of the film. The world it builds is a combination of modern and retro. Brand new cars are seen everywhere, but Jay's friend Greg drives an 80's style station wagon that they drive around for most of the film. Jay's house seems stuck in the 70's with its dated style, old horror and sci-fi TV shows and movies on their very old fashioned black and white TV. The synthesized score created by Disasterpeace calls to mind past soundtracks like John Carpenter's Halloween and Charles Bernstein's Nightmare on Elm Street. All of this coupled with the artfully filmed Detroit backdrop makes for a film that creates its own time, similar to the Bates Motel television show. Many people have speculated at the meaning of the film and the Follower. The ones that dismiss it as the fear of sex or sexually transmitted diseases is simplistic and not looking at the whole picture. I think it's much more than that. Jay is 19 years old, not a high school student. She would be at least a few years younger and a virgin if it had been merely about fear in and punishment of having sex. Jay was building a relationship with Hugh (which wasn't even his real name). They got to know each other over a couple of dates and she chose to be intimate with him on their second date. Immediately afterwards, he assaults her, ties her to a wheelchair still in her underwear, and tells her about the Follower, a person who will slowly walk towards her in the guise of anyone. He tells her it isn't stupid and it will keep following forever unless she passes it on to someone else in the same way it passed it to her. I interpret the Follower to be all of the consequences of sex. On the surface, it's pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, but it's also other people's opinions and judgments. It's trusting that the other person is genuine in their intentions and being as close to them as you can possibly be. It's accepting that entering a long term relationship with someone is also assuming all of their baggage as well. The Follower takes many forms as the consequences do. Sometimes it takes on the form of loved ones because the closest people to you have the ability to hurt you the most. Jay is affected by the consequences more seriously than others because they tend to be more serious for women in our society. A woman's value is still tied to her sex life and public opinion about it whether perception matches her actions or not. Men don't have these same perceptions to combat. This is why "Hugh" has to build part of a relationship with Jay to have sex with her while Jay can just hop on a boat and presumably have sex with little to no speaking. Even when Greg is very flippant about the consequences, the Follower still kills him as it also presumably kills the men on the boat. The Follower is always there and always advancing to show that no one is exempt from these consequences. Throughout the film, characters reminisce over being a child. During the game they play at the theater, "Hugh" wants to be a little boy with a whole future ahead of him. Paul, Jay's friend, reminisces over sexual exploration in his childhood. This particular incident is when he and Jay found porn magazines in the street and looked at them only to be caught by their horrified parents. They are remembering when they didn't have to deal with more than disappointed or freaked out parents. Now, their parents are absent because they are growing up. Their parents have other stuff to deal with and honestly can't really help them with these issues. Their parents can't change all of these consequences they are subject to. Paul also reminisces over first kisses that didn't really mean anything to him as a child, but he's obviously in love with Jay now. The same kisses mean something a lot different as adults. Growing up is a bit part of the film. All the main characters are college aged and they need to navigate their new found adulthood on their own. Many complain that the Follower and its rules are inconsistent. At the beginning, a young woman is running away from it, but gives up and sits by the beach. She is found with her leg grotesquely bent backwards, almost severed from her body. Later on, it kills Greg in an entirely different, bloodless fashion. Tons of things are passed around by word of mouth with varying degrees of accuracy. For instance, even as adults, myths abound about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases abound. Misinformation is everywhere, so of course not all the information being passed to Jay by "Hugh" is not going to be completely accurate. He is reporting his own findings based on his experience. The consequences of sex are different for each person, so why would they be the same in the form of the Follower? The ending of the film has Jay and her friends trying to kill the Follower by luring it into a pool and electrocuting it. It of course doesn't go to well as the Follower isn't stupid. It appears to be dead as the pool fills with blood after Paul shoots it. Jay and Paul have sex and are seen walking down the street hand in hand, implying a new relationship. Someone follows them from behind, but they don't even look back. If you're obsessed with all these negative consequences, it's consumes your life. Jay wouldn't even leave the house and couldn't lead a normal life when she was obsessed with it. Now, she has someone by her side that makes the consequences matter less. The Follower and what it represents are still there and will always be there, but for now, it doesn't matter. It doesn't bode well that Paul was obviously in love with her for a while and Jay was resistant to a relationship, but the last impression we are left with is happiness. It Follows is an interesting horror film that's completely open to interpretation. If you have a different take, I would love to hear it. The filmmakers purposefully didn't give an definitive answers because they want it left that way and I appreciate that. It Follows is largely successful because of Maika Monroe as Jay. Her emotion onscreen is amazing and she kept me on her side the whole film, even when doing morally questionable things to stave off death. I highly recommend It Follows, but it's not for everyone.

One of the truly wonderful things about the horror genre is that it is one of the few genres that creators can play with ideas and metaphors and have them play out on a visceral level that keeps things somewhat grounded in the physical world without having to play solely in the metaphysical world. It can keep stories beholden to the action within the film and it can also be subject to a myriad of interpretations. This is very much the case with David Robert Mitchell's extraordinary IT FOLLOWS. The film focuses on Jay (Maika Monroe), a high schooler who lives in a decent middle class suburb of Detroit and is seeing a young man she really likes. They have sex, and in a disturbing turn afterwards, he chloroforms her, ties her to a wheelchair and tells her an insane tale. He had sex with her only to pass on a malevolent entity that has been following him almost everywhere. He warns her of other dangers she will face; the entity is slow but smart and will take on physical forms of people she recognizes and maybe even loves and no one else will be able to see it unless she sleeps with someone else and passes it on. They fall under attack by the slow-moving entity and they escape. She tries to return to her normal existence but soon finds herself being pursued by the entity under different faces and bodies. She tries to explain her fears to her sister Kelly (Lily Sepe), her other friends Yara (Olivia Luccardi) and Paul (Keir Gilchrist), and her former flame Greg (Daniel Zovatto), but they try to explain it away as post-traumatic stress. But when they try to get away for the weekend at Greg's parents' beach house, they begin to believe the truth. Soon, the decision must come for Jay whether she might risk someone else's life in order to pass the curse on and if she does, will "it" still not come for her regardless? Mitchell keeps the pressure on throughout the film offering a blend of a few scattered cool jump scares and a pervasive sense of dread. Some of the moments in the film that try to add a little more gravitas can end up seeming like a little much, as in moments where Yara is reading excerpts from Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot", or when an English teacher is reading excerpts from T.S. Eliot which kind of make the film seem like it's actively trying for more openings of different interpretations but that is absolutely forgivable. It's usually better to have a horror film try to overthink something than think too little about it. There's also a very bittersweet love story and coming-of-age story mixed in with the terror which is a very nice touch that especially co-stars Monroe and Gilchrist work incredibly well. Speaking of Monroe, this is a really tour-de-force performance for a young person in a horror film. More often than not lately, we've been getting a lot of YA PG-13 "horror" films, but they've been all remakes or sequels or what-have-you. Very few have also tried to deal with being a teen in an honest way, which is reminiscent of what Joss Whedon did with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by using the horror and the monsters as stand-ins for the pitfalls and dangers of being a teenager. The interpretations of the film are numerous; is it about AIDS or some other dangerous STD or the dangers of teen pregnancy or the sexual revolution or... there seem to be so many. The point is that this film creates this opportunity to imagine or to think about different ideas about what message, if any, the film is trying to convey. But one thing that everyone should be able to agree with is that Maika Monroe is just amazing as Jay and Gilchrist is excellent as the love-lorn Paul. I hope to see much more of their work in the future. IT FOLLOWS is a rare horror film that can be seen for its many layers, or just taken on its own as a terrifying experience, and it's up to the viewer to determine their own input.

We're living in a day where most viewers want either a ton of gore with their horror or for the film to be a constant barrage of jumps and scares. Most of our society has become so impatient, that anything that takes it's time; whether it be a book, a t.v. show or a film. So for those who want that type of film; IT FOLLOWS is not for you. IT FOLLOWS is a wonderfully sober homage to John Carpenter's iconic horror film HALLOWEEN. In it's long and sweeping shots, it's quaint home town feel, it's close knit group of friends and it's slow moving and hauntingly creepy villain. Following Jay as she first goes on a date and after having sex with her boyfriend finds herself being haunted and followed by a creepy presence that can look like anyone, and can be seen by no one other than those that are cursed. This brings some wonderfully tense and creepy "chase" sequences; and some beautiful cinematography. The sweeping long shots gives you a depth that is sore lacking in film these days. In this day of quick shots and shaky cam, this is a wonderful change. The film is slow moving, with plenty of talking sequences and moments of character development that are also lacking in today's horror. The acting is top notch by all, most particularly by Maika Monroe who plays Jay. But one of the most amazing things in this film however is the chilling 80's synth score by Disasterpiece. It's HALLOWEENesqe sound and it's simple yet haunting feel make it one of the best scores in a horror film in decades. The film is beautifully shot, and hauntingly creepy. I highly recommend the film for anyone who likes a slow paced and haunting horror films.

The film, It Follows, is not The Omen or The Exorcist or even Fright Night. It's a small budget film (two million dollars is the estimate) that has not only broke even, but actually made a good profit for its studios. True, there are goofs in the film. One critic mentioned the swimming pool in the abandoned building near the end of the movie. For an abandoned building, the pool was spotless and the water warm and clear like people had been swimming in it every single day. In fact, the pool should've been empty and run down. Another goof the critic caught was also in the same scene when one of the main characters brings a small box with electrical cords in it, along with a few other items to prepare for the coming attack. There should be only about six-to-twelve feet of cord in a box or case that size, but the kids used close to a hundred feet to plug in the electrical items and then set them down near the edge of the pool. The real question, however, is whether the film is any good or not? For me, it was. I don't know if others will enjoy the movie, though some clearly have when the gross amount of sales is added. I had fun with it and was sitting on the edge of my seat in a number of scenes, thinking to myself, "Don't open the door!" I wasn't sure if the movie would do this for me, but I found myself addicted to what was happening after the first ten-to-fifteen minutes. Some of the film didn't make a lot of sense to me, but the director/writer (David Robert Mitchell) was able to capture the essence of what horror is supposed to be in a film of this type. Ratchet up the suspense and the scare factor for the viewers! As most readers will already know, the plot is centered on a teenager, Jay (she reminded me a bit of Reese Witherspoon), and what happens when she has sex with her new boyfriend. He clearly passes something on to her, but it's much worse than a STD. What transpires is that Jay now sees zombie-like creatures coming for her, and she's the only one who can actually see them, other than previous people in the chain of sexual encounters. Her sister and high school friends can't see the dead people and think she's hallucinating. In time, they have to take Jay at her word, which is a challenge for the first three-quarters of the film. Some of her friends nearly get killed when she's shooting at the zombies. By the end of the film, everyone has teamed up to put a stop to Jay being hunted, though I'm not sure a bullet to the head would stop these zombies. Maybe cut the heads off? I mean the people are already dead. Therefore, another way has to be found to stop them. I have a feeling this will be answered in the sequel. Yes, there will be a sequel. The film broke even, plus made a profit. The studios will therefore put up more money for the sequel and look forward to a larger slice of the pie. Though low budget in scope, It Follows still succeeds on the fright barometer. Naturally, some horror fans won't like it, but others will. I would definitely watch the sequel when it comes out. There's one last thing I want to mention about the Blu-ray edition of It Follows. Except for two Commentaries on the film and an Interview with the gentleman who did the score, there are no other Behind-the-Scenes stuff, unless you count the Trailers. I thought this was unusual for a Blu-ray DVD. Usually a horror film will have tons of Behind-the-Scenes documentaries on the Blu-ray edition because the fans love that. I certainly do.

Very good movie with lots of re-play value. Hard to say why w/out a spoiler---so be warned. Like films where you pass on a curse, here you can pass on to another person some demonic kind of "thing" you cannot see unless it wants you to - and then it usually mimics a person you see walking towards you, steadily, and you can tell something is off---and you have to put distance. It will not run after you, steady like a zombie, it just keeps steadily walking toward where you are and to get some rest--you better travel a long way, fast. Locks you into a creepy vibe right off and never lets up.

What a wonderful, delightful, and pleasant take on the horror genre today. Writer and director David Robert Mitchell did a magnificent job creating a tense, frightening, and exciting world to delve into for a couple of hours. I saw this in theaters when it came out, and boy did they get it right by putting this in the theaters! It was deemed a total success by all accounts, even with the seemingly "low profit" theater run it had. In reality it was very successful and everyone involved was very pleased with the results (even the studios). I had this preordered and was so happy to get it- the film is fantastic, the acting is superb, the story is aces, the extras on the blu ray are beyond awesome, and this entry into the horror world shows that it is still alive and kickin'! Sure, we see these crappy films like THE GALLOWS (you know it's going to be bad when a horror movie has "Paper Towns" as one of its theatrical previews), but seeing all of these terrible takes on the genre is well worth it when you get to see a gem like It Follows. The soundtrack was executed masterfully by Disasterpeace and provides a whole different layer to the tense scenes. The more I think about my viewings of this film, the less I can find wrong with it. The truth is that one can only hope David Robert Mitchell can provide even a fraction of the quality of this film in the future, and if he does, then we will all be winners.

"The snail is moving at a snail's pace. It's gonna follow you for the rest of your life. You can move as fast or slow as you want, but the snail will always be moving in your direction." "If you touch the snail or the snail touches you, you die. But, before you ask, it can swim and survive in any atmosphere." "What's your plan to survive the snail?"

De lo mejor de los últimos años, la presentación del estuche genial

"It follows" ist ein Horrorbeitrag aus dem Independentbereich. Der Film von David Robert Mitchell, der sowohl Regie als auch das Drehbuch schrieb, bekam beim Start sehr gute Kritiken und wird neben "The Babadook" als neue Hoffnung im Genre gesehen. Stilistisch erinnert "It follows" sehr stark an die Klassiker der 70er und 80er Jahre. Mitchell setzt durchweg auf langsame und sehr sehenswerte Kamerafahrten und nicht nur durch den stilvollen Synthy-Soundtrack fühlt man sich als Zuschauer einmal mehr an die Topfilme von John Carpenter erinnert. Durchgehend besticht der Film durch eine undurchdringliche Atmosphäre, es ist schwer auszumachen das Böse zu fassen, denn es besteht aus vielen Geheimnissen und Rätseln. Der nervenzerfetzende Soundtrack tut sein übriges. Auch wenn viele Motive an die Klassiker erinnern, so ist Mitchells Films dennoch sehr eigenständig. Ausserdem wechseln die Thmen, einmal meint man ein Coming of Age Drama zu sehen, dann wird diese Stimmung sofort wieder aufgelöst durch Bodyhorror in Bestform. In der ersten Szene des Films sieht man die Straße einer Vorstadt. Ein Mädchen flieht vor Angst aus ihrem Haus und fährt an den Strand, wo sie ihren Eltern unter Tränen am Telefon erzählt, dass sie sie liebt. Am Morgen sieht der Zuschauer das Mädchen am Strand liegen, sie ist brutal ermordet worden. Szenenwechsel zu der Collegestudentin Jay Height (Maika Monroe), die in einem Vorort von Detroit lebt und eigentlich ein ganz normales Teenagerleben führt. Sie verbringt viel Zeit mit ihrer Schwester Kelly (Lil Sepe) und ihren Freunden Paul (Keir Gilchrist) und Yara (Olivia Luccard). Derzeit schwärmt sie für den erst kürzlich zugezogenen, attraktiven Hugh (Jake Weary). Wobei aber auch ihr Nachbar Greg (Daniel Zovatto) Interesse an ihr zeigt. Eines Abends hat sie endlich das erhoffte Date mit ihrem Traumtyp. Aber bereits im Kino benimmt der junge Mann sich reichlich seltsam. Als sie dann anschließens endlich Sex mit ihm in seinem Wagen hat, scheint doch alles gut zu laufen. Doch ihr Lover betäubt Jay mit Chlorform. Als sie kurze Zeit später - gefesselt an einem Stuhl - in einer Fabrikruine aufwacht, erzählt ihr der nervöse Jay, dass ihm alles leid täte, aber er musste irgendetwas was ihn verfolgte auf sie übertragen. Deshalb der Sex. Nun wäre er den Dämon los, weil er Besitz von Jay ergreifen will. Dieses Etwas würde die junge Frau verfolgen und will sie töten. Für andere Menschen bleibt dieser Dämon, der sich in der Gestalt jeder möglichen Person Jay nähern kann, unsichtbar. Sobald das unsichtbare Monster Jay töten könnte, würde auch wieder Hugh der erste der Übertragungskette sein, was nur damit verhindert werden kann, dass auch Jay den Fluch durch Sex mit irgendjemand anderen weitergeben muss... Diese Ausgangslage gibt genügend Dynamik für die Weiterfahrt der Geschichte her. So glaubt Jay zuerst nicht an diesen Spuk, aber als sie in der Schule von weitem eine kranke alte Frau im Nachthemd auf sich zu kommen sieht, die scheinbar von keinem der anderen Schüler bemerkt wird, beginnt sie zu ahnen, was für einen bösen totbringenden Virus sie sich da eingefangen hat. Der Film von Mitchell spielt genüsslich mit der Teen Angst, ein bisschen schwingt das Thema Aids im Hintergrund mit. Vor allem die gut aufgelegten Darsteller überzeugen. So macht die hübsche Maika Monroe ein genauso gute Figur wie vor einigen Jahren Amber Heard als Mandy Lane. Ihr zur Seite als Partner, der Kanadier Keir Gilchrist als unscheinbarer Paul, der am Ende vielleicht als Retter fungieren könnte. "It follows" spielt gekonnt mit den Urängsten des Menschen verfolgt zu werden. Dabei verfolgt dich der Fluch oder die Krankheit immer in der Gestalt eines Menschen, der zwar langsam auf dich zukommt, aber auch sehr tödlich, wenn du ihn zu nahe ran lässt. Gefilmt wurde "It Follows" über weite Strecken in einem etwas verkommenen, etwas ruinösen Vorort von Detroit. Sehr selbstverständlich bewegt sich die jugendliche Schicksalsgemeinschaft um Jay durch diese in Auflösung begriffene Welt. Auch die unbeschwerte Jugend ist zu Ende.

Dopo un incontro sessuale innocente, per la diciannovenne Jay (Maika Monroe), inizierà una continua fuga da una strana entità che continuerà a perseguitarla... Lo Statunitense David Robert Mitchell, classe 74, dirige uno dei migliori horror degli ultimi anni, caratterizzato da una regia curata, una scenografia di una Detroit pazzesca, che colpisce per cura di esterni ed interni, una fotografia maestosa, un montaggio di mestiere, una storia piuttosto originale ed una recitazione realistica da parte di tutto il cast, in particolare per quanto riguarda Maika Monroe (la protagonista). Da menzionare anche l'ottima colonna sonora di Disasterpeace, fatta davvero con gusto, dove i synth fanno da padroni. Un film, questo, anche un po' "vintage", che ricorda un gusto retrò anni 80, trovando però, una sua identità e personalità, che lo colloca tra cinema di genere e quello sperimentale. Il primo lungometraggio di Mitchell riesce ad essere teso e cupo, pur non usando jump scare inutili (ce ne saranno al massimo un paio in tutto il lungometraggio). Probabilmente il punto più debole del film, riguarda la soluzione adottata per concludere il plot del lungometraggio, un piccolo difetto forse, ma che a mio parere non và a minare la qualità di un'opera nel complesso davvero ben riuscita. Tirando le somme, dunque, un ottimo film, diretto da chi di cinema ne capisce, il gusto estetico non si discute e si nota fin dalla primissima inquadratura. Bellissimi poi i carelli e la stupenda panoramica a 360 gradi nel corridoio della scuola. Il talentuoso David Robert Mitchell, si ispira a cineasti come Cronenberg e Carpenter, e a film come l'invasione degli ultracorpi. Da comprare e collezionare. Voto 9-

It's not a bad movie, but I didn't understand it. And I always hates that. I prefer movies that doesn't confuses me. Like Hereditary, The Babadook and The Witch.

A genre often tainted by cliché and predictability, it is rare to see a horror film receive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is thus even more surprising to see that almost as many people on Amazon have given it 1 star as have given 5. I believe this is a masterful piece of filmmaking. The film is more than anything, an experience and I think that’s absolutely fine. Horror may challenge you, but primarily, it must scare you and I feel, given the opportunity and openness of viewing, It Follows can do both. This film is produced with such precision and brilliance – there is never a dull moment. I’d say my biggest praise goes to Disasterpiece for producing such an ingenious soundtrack. Taken away, the film would be far weaker. Many have commented on the music and how it is reminiscent of John Carpenter’s Halloween and I’d wholeheartedly agree. I think Carpenter’s film was another that would not have resulted in so many fearful audiences had it been scored differently. I think when horror music is unpredictable I am more likely to be unsettled. In It Follows, every note plays against every scene perfectly – there is a variety of distinctive sounds and melodies – superlatives do not do it justice. The comparisons to Carpenter do not end there as, essentially, this is a slasher film. We may never know what “it” is, but believe me, if “it” was following me, I wouldn’t stop to find out (though I do hope in the expected sequel, this is exactly what the protagonists do). The film itself IS brilliant, though a little less than its score. On first viewing, I thought it was perfect, but when revisiting, there are plot-holes which dampen it slightly, though in my view, not enough to warrant a less than perfect rating. The director knows how to manipulate the mind and knows that a simple change in camera angle, making a tall actor provoke feelings of nausea, is all that is needed to truly frighten. Say what you will about certain discrepancies in plot, if you want a film that will linger after the credits roll and will also stand as a symbol for many real issues (e.g. HIV and the attitude towards its sufferers), you need look no further.