Sex. Paranoia. Betrayal. These are the are among the first words that come to mind when we talk about the cult horror hit, It Follows. A movie that serves as a refreshing splash of originality and imagination that has gone on to become a mainstay in the Blu-ray players of horror lovers everywhere. While it’s a movie that certainly receives its share of praise for being fresh with its concept and quite creative in its depiction of the movie’s antagonistic entity- it also doesn’t seem to get the analysis it deserves beyond those initial praises. While the freshness and high-quality storytelling are certainly not up for debate in my book- this movie is awesome- I must say that beyond all the sex, paranoia, and betrayal, there’s also a surprising layer of tenderness, friendship, and empowerment that carry it through the trending page and into the pop culture zeitgeist forever.
It Follows is a 2014 horror film (well, it premiered in 2014, then got its theatrical release in 2015) that sees Jay (Maika Monroe) and her concerned friends as they look for a way to end a curse that Jay was given by her boyfriend by way of the old “in / out”. What follows is… well, “it”. And what that means is essentially a collection of evil apparitions that slowly, and blatantly stalk anyone who holds the curse until their eventual, bloody demise. One of the many things this movie does differently from typical spookies of the era is that instead of making the story a mystery as to how to survive the curse- the solution and “rules” to the curse are given almost right away- and the movie instead focuses it’s brisk runtime on a small group of characters searching for an alternative to the solution that will save anyone else from this sexually transmitted demon.
The movie’s opening scene is easily one of the more memorable in recent years with a long, dramatic, unbroken oner that pans back and forth as it tracks a young woman in her underwear running from someone (or something) that is just behind the camera. The shot starts off quiet with nothing but the ambient sounds of a sleepy middle America neighborhood. Then come the wailing screams of a clearly distressed woman, followed by the swelling synthesizer and rising intensity of the score. The scene does everything that a horror movie needs to do to get audiences into the story. It draws intrigue immediately, gives an unbroken look into the strange behavior of this girl, and shows off the clear skillfulness of the movie’s direction and photography which director David Robert Mitchell styled after the iconic works of John Carpenter and George A. Romero. I mean, even the movies establishing shots are total eye-candy.
One of the things that stands out about It Follows is the way that it evokes the nostalgic, classic horror aesthetic and tone that we love, while also choosing to deliver something that audiences weren’t expecting. For instance, in the tradition of movies like Scream, Psycho, or It, this movie offers a violent opening kill to kick off its 100 minute thrill ride. Yet, for every homage made to the horror movies of old, there’s some kind of unique spin on it that makes it all feel re-invented. Sure, we’ve seen an opening kill scene- but have we ever seen one where the victim knows they’re going to die and they just succumb? There may be an example or two- but I gotta admit, this opening scene genuinely creeps me out and (for some reason) because of the way it’s presented- the victim creeps me out too. I like that very much.
Proceeding this iconic scene, we’re introduced to Jay and some of our supporting cast including Olivia Luccardi as Yara, Lili Sepe as Kelly (Jay’s younger sister), Daniel Zovatto as Greg, and Keir Gilchrist as Paul. Hey man, same name. That’s cool. It’s established early on that Paul has a massive crush on Jay although he doesn’t admit it- and Jay is romantically involved with Hugh (Jake Weary) who not only looks like he’s about 10 years behind the times in terms of douche bag boyfriend fashion, but is also the smooth-talking playboy who gives Jay the curse and then ties her up and forces her to be confronted by a naked woman who he claims is coming for her. He then lets her loose to escape and that’s about the last we get from Hugh.
By the movie’s 20 minute mark, we’re already aware of what the curse seems to be, how it’s transmitted, how to potentially pass it on and (thanks to the movie’s opening scene) just how badly things will be for you if you don’t. So, after getting dumped on the street in front of her house, the true horrors begin when Jay starts experiencing hauntings the very next day after the incident. We’re treated to a nice and effective roster of ghosts to stalk Jay around town in the form of a creepy old woman, a battered and toothless young woman, a beach-going woman, and even a naked man on the roof. Not to mention some other creepy ghouls that stalk Jay and her friends throughout the movie. Of course, you’re probably asking yourself “Why wouldn’t Jay just sleep with someone else and pass on the curse?” And to that I say… She does. And then things get… kind of disturbing.
So, whatever “it” is can clearly change forms. That’s why it looks different every time we see it. When Jay passes the curse onto her friend Greg (which he willingly accepts because horny teenagers) she realizes that she can still see the entity, and she happens to catch it sneaking into Greg’s house. When she rushed across the street to help Greg, she finds that it has taken the shape of Greg’s mother- who then proceeds to… fuck Greg to death. Yeah, not gonna unpack that any further- let’s move on. Now that Greg is dead, the entity will begin searching for the next person in line. In this case, that would Jay since she had the curse before Greg. So, once again, our crew is back at square one as they search for a way to beat this thing.
In a final desperate attempt to rid Jay of this curse, Paul recommends that they try to lure the ghost into the swimming pool of a local school, and drop an assortment of electrical products into the pool to (hopefully) electrocute it out of existence. In my opinion, this set piece is amazing, but the logic of how and why they came to THIS plan as their last hope is maybe a bit convenient. While I’d agree with anyone saying that this is as good a plan as any, I’m really just glad that Paul’s initial plan was scrapped due to his charming morality. See, Paul was thinking of contracting the curse from Jay, then hiring a sex worker to pass it on to with the logic that they would immediately pass it on to another client and remove themselves a few degrees from the growing victim list. Of course, the plan would have ultimately only put off the inevitable with the lurking entity aiming not only to kill the person with the curse, but also anyone who’s EVER had it.
The movie’s final showdown is complete with all the blood, screaming, and scares you’d hope for. When luring the entity into a pool for the electrocution of a lifetime (or afterlifetime) chaos ensues and our guys are forced to fully throw down with “it”. Of course, what’s a good movie without a thought-provoking ending to leave you wanting more? The film closes with Paul seemingly killing the entity in the pool after many botched attempts and even an accidental shooting of his childhood friend (whoops)- Jay and Paul not only walk away alive and mostly unharmed, they also fall in love and have a proper night of uncured sex.
So- the ambiguous ending is a staple of horror- but just like the opening scene which felt familiar and yet new, this ending kind of leaves you the same way with Jay and Paul walking down the street as a couple and an anonymous figure following behind them. Was this person just another neighbor out for a stroll? Or was it, “it”. I’d say we’ll never know but truthfully I think the fact that David Robert Mitchell has discussed plans for a sequel titled “They Follow”- weather or not tis particular entity is gone is kind of irrelevant because as the potential sequels title suggests- there’s more of whatever “it” is out there.
From start to finish, It Follows is a darkly, scary, and brutal horror movie that’s packaged in brilliant cinematography, a kick ass score, overall good performances and most importantly- freshness. This is one that I’d HIGHLY recommend you watch or re-watch on your next movie night. But for now, wear a condom fellas. And ladies, uhhh… run.
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