It Follows – FILM REVIEW

The brilliant Maika Monroe as Jay with Jake Weary’s Hugh, as she discovers her supernatural fate.

A sexually-transmitted monster. An original and interesting premise, it is the one at the centre of David Robert Mitchell’s sophomore feature It Follows. Set in a timeless suburban Detroit, where mobile phones and laptops are notably absent, the film centres on high school senior Jay (the indelible Maika Monroe, recently seen in The Guest), living a pleasant life, unwinding with friends and going on dates with new boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary). One seemingly innocent night, Hugh and Jay share their first sexual encounter, where the aforementioned curse is transferred to our heroine. Hugh informs her that the sole way to rid herself of it is to sleep with somebody else, further passing it on. If she doesn’t, ‘it’ will follow her until it kills her. However, if the person she transmits it to is killed, the creature will revert back to her.

One problem consistent in the majority of teen horror movies is the presence of caricatures instead of characters. So many works in this sub-genre forgo imbuing its heroes with depth and simply focus on exhausted archetypes – the jock, the cheerleader, the geek, etc. Mitchell takes a different and significantly more satisfying approach. Perfectly capturing teen interactions, he crafts a cast of utterly believable characters, each of whom is relatable in their own way. At the heart of them is Monroe, delivering an empathic and beautifully human performance. She anchors the film, subsequently creating a tangibly emotional core that injects the horror with considerably more heft than it may have had otherwise. Additionally, unlike so much teen horror, which chastises and sadistically torments its characters, It Follows never judges its protagonists. Above all else, the scares work so well because Mitchell makes the viewer care.

Jay in a tense moment with her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe).

Furthermore, Mitchell emerges as one of the most compelling horror filmmakers around. He incorporates elements uncommon to the genre – slow, measured shots and unhurried editing – while also proving himself to be an absolute master at delivering genuinely scary jolts and imaginative distractions. Combining the conventional with the unconventional, Mitchell has moulded a film that is truly original and terrifying. From its startling, panic-inducing opening, a sense of lingering dread persists through every frame of It Follows. Mike Gioulakis’ excellent, widescreen cinematography often pauses on shots, provoking the viewer to scour the background in search of the constantly approaching terror. This proves to be a brilliantly effective technique. Moreover, the eponymous creature is deliberately ambiguous, unexplained and all the more disturbing for it. Its various appearances will have the viewer paralysed, gripping the armrests of their cinema seats and shrieking with fright.

There is depth and texture beneath the scares. Unlike so many horror films where adolescents are scorned for sexual encounters, Mitchell showcases a more nuanced attitude towards teen sexuality, as the creeping menace is never used to insinuate that girls should be punished for promiscuity. Likewise, there is an interesting dichotomy between sex and death, specifically through how the former is used to mentally stave off the inevitability of the latter.

It Follows almost takes place in a world of its own. As previously stated, modern technology doesn’t make an appearance, aside from a cute, seashell-shaped Kindle, while black-and-white movies from the ‘40s and ‘50s seem to be the preferred viewing choice. Televisions consist of vintage sets solely controlled by two dials. The unspectacular suburbia is made up of attractive detached homes and expansive avenues where a feeling of emptiness pervades. There is no Spielbergian sentimentality to be found in these suburbs. The ruins of Detroit cast a shadow in the background like hollow, ghostly figures. So too are the characters’ parents, largely absent and leaving their offspring to lead laidback lives in a fashion reminiscent of Larry Clark.

Dreamlike and nightmarish in equal measure, ‘It Follows’ is a mesmerising concoction.

Accompanying proceedings is Disasterpeace’s incredible synth score, taking influence from John Carpenter’s iconic work, while also establishing a distinctly individual voice. It is certainly one of the most fascinating pieces of modern film music, easily rivalling the likes of Mica Levi’s extraordinary scoring on Under the Skin. It helps Mitchell in crafting a dreamlike atmosphere that induces many scenes with a mesmerising, hypnotic effect.

Mitchell interestingly plays with familiar genre tropes, but never winks at the audience, unlike self-aware satires like Scream and The Cabin in the Woods. Instead, he adopts a refreshingly earnest approach, caring for and respecting his protagonists. Moreover, this is clearly a film crafted with love; something you can’t say for the majority of modern horror. A slow burner, it takes the time to develop its characters, causing the viewer to empathise with them, making the scary moments gripping and suspenseful. Like its central creature, this movie will prove impossible to shake off and haunt your waking hours. In fact, it is impossible to imagine a scarier film being released this year. I cannot recall the last time I felt so terrified in a cinema, often struggling to catch my breath during the nightmarish appearances of the titular menace. Superbly crafted, masterfully performed and remarkably frightening, It Follows is a masterpiece.