It Follows (2014)

[baumer]

Bar none, this is the best horror film I've seen in 15 years.  As Stingray said, if you are looking for gore, look elsewhere.  If you are looking for something that will make you feel uneasy, create paranoia, and make you smile because you realize what you just watched is one of the most original and brilliant pieces of film making you will see in the genre, then this is it.

 

And Jessie, Babadook this is not, not even close.

 

 

Right from the opening scene, I was drawn in.  There is an obvious 80's theme to this but we know it's modern times because one of the characters has what looks to be a data device.  I'm not even sure what it is but unless I'm mistaken, it is something that had data capabilities.  But the rest of the film is shot like a 70's horror or an 80's horror.  They went to great lengths to establish a look and a feel to the film and it works beautifully.  

 

This review will be spoiler heavy so if you don't want to know the nuts and bolts, skip over it.  

 

The plot is a simple one.  There is some kind of malevolent force that follows you around.  The way you contract and eliminate this threat is by having sex.  Somehow by having unprotected sex, you get it, and then, as the title says it follows you around.  Only you can see this thing though.  So every person who might look a little strange to you could be the force that is out to get you.  And it creates paranoia because you don't know what's real and what isn't.  This is an incredibly effective plot device in the film.  As it is explained to J, after she gets it from her new boyfriend, this force can be anyone.  It walks slow so you can buy yourself time by outrunning it or driving away but like the Terminator, it will not stop ever until you are dead.  

 

The first 15 minutes has J having sex with her boyfriend, it's a nice experience that they share, and then as she is leaning over the backseat rambling on about whatever it is you ramble on about after sex, her boyfriend comes up behind her and puts a cloth with chloroform on it, around her mouth.  She wakes up tied to a chair and he tells her what it is that's coming after her.  He apologizes to her and explains that all she has to do is have sex with someone else and she's rid of it.  But, if the thing that follows her manages to kill someone, then it comes after the next one down the line and so on.  So really no one is safe, ever.  

 

The cast are nobodies but J, as played by Maika Monroe, has been in some films but she's just not a name.  That's going to change after this film.  Not only is she strikingly beautiful, she absolutely nails the character.  She's absolutely terrified all throughout the film and when she's scared, you are scared for her.  The rest of the cast is very good as well and there's a nice love triangle as one of her long time friends has loved her probably since they were kids, but he's not quite her type and this creates a lot of tension.  He's willing to sleep with her and take the malevolent force on, that's how much he likes her.  

 

The look of the film is second to none as this was filmed entirely in Michigan and much of it in Detroit, where you see the poverty, the run down buildings, the old houses, the beat up 30 year old cars.  The look of the film is basically a secondary character.  It adds to the palette and creates tension.  There's something more sinister about seeing an old 70's TV with rabbit ears and all the shitty colours from the 80's carpet and wallpaper and such.  

 

And then there's the soundtrack.  I think the composer paid homage to about 8-10 horror themes.  While not ripping them off, you can easily hear, Manfredini, Bernstein, Carpenter, Hermann and even some very obvious nods to something like Knowing where the soundtrack was overbearing but effective.  I am simply in love with the music that was used here.

 

When you combine all of this together, you get one of the best horror films I've ever seen.  Horror has had some good entries in the last decade imo but nothing can top this.  It's frightening, tense, creates a lot of panic and leaves you guessing in almost every scene.  Writer and director David Robert Mitchell has created one of the most terrifying and original horror films.  I won't rank it right now because it's still so fresh but I am simply in love with this film.  I honestly wanted to go right back into the theater to see it again.

 

It's also unapologetically rated R.  There's lots of nudity, it's terrifying and if you were to bring kids to this, I think it would seriously have a chance to mess with their minds.  IMO, horror was truly born in the 70's.  I'm aware of Hitchcock's contribution to the genre, but the horror that I love was from the 70/80's.  This is almost a love letter to the films of those decades.  But in some ways, it does it better.  It Follows might end up being the best film of the year.

 

As for the ending that someone complained about.  It's the perfect way to end the film.  There is no other way to end it.  This thing cannot be stopped.  It just can't.  So to have it look like a somewhat happy ending was cool..until you see that no matter what they do, they will never get rid of it.  The ending was terrific.

 

Every time I finish the review I just feel like going back and adding more.  I can't say enough about it.  This is about as original as it gets and that is a rare thing in today's cinema.

 

 

10/10

Edited April 12, 2015 by baumer

[rockNrollaDIM]

So good. But it didn't scare me too badly. Creepiest part is when the old guy nonchalantly walks into the room behind her friend. LOVE the score. So so so so so so good. Ahh this was just a really great time at the theater. It Follows: The Ultimate STD.

[RichWS]

I rarely see horror flicks because they're just not my thing but word of mouth compelled me. I thought it was great. The hallway shot with the tall man made my heart sink deep into my chest. I've never experienced that sensation with a film before so that was cool. I don't get people's beef with the ending but whatevs.

[bartonfink]

It's more ghastly and haunting coming-of-age story than ascetic allegory. Liked delicately intense audio-visual craftsmanship and peculiar, sorrowful sentiment.

[MovieGuyKyle17]

My Review

https://soundcloud.com/knreviews/it-follows-kn-review

[Goffe]

Oh man oh, the atmosphere of this thing is just fucking crazy, first time in years that a film genuinely scared me, that scene where the tall guy walks into her bedroom is just breathtaking (seriously I had difficulties to breath).  

 

I know I need to rewatch it a few more times, but I think this might be the best horror film of all time, imo anyways. 95/100

[baumer]

Oh man oh, the atmosphere of this thing is just fucking crazy, first time in years that a film genuinely scared me, that scene where the tall guy walks into her bedroom is just breathtaking (seriously I had difficulties to breath).  

 

I know I need to rewatch it a few more times, but I think this might be the best horror film of all time, imo anyways. 95/100

 

I have no problem putting this in the same conversation as some of the icons.  It's seriously that good.  

 

So glad you liked it Goffe.

[75Live]

I hope to catch this again after it is out of my consciousness so I can go in with a clean slate.

 

I think my experience ruined the movie more than the movie itself did.  So I would like another crack at it

[mattmav45]

Primal as fuck.

 

It has no name and it has no explanation, but what it does have is a singular purpose.  That singular purpose is to kill.  I can assume that many out there have tried to interpret just what this force is, but for me, I want it to be nameless.  Specifically, this is horror in its most pure form.  Nameless, formless evil that will stop at nothing to get what it whats.  At times it is what is not explained that is most terrifying.  Thankfully for the viewer, such is very much the case here.

 

Jay Height is living a somewhat normal life among family and friends.  Unfortunately for Jay, she decides to have sex with her boyfriend, and said act ultimately brings with it some............side effects.  It is quite frankly a brilliant set-up, and as such one could only hope the filmmakers are in tune enough with the material to fully bring it to life.  By way of clever camera angles, realistic yet grotesque imagery, and a vibrant score, the filmmakers are able to maximize the idea's potential. 

 

I'm not even going to both separating those three aforementioned aspects into multiple paragraphs.  The heavy bass used brings forth a heavy sense of dread, I could feel my hit skip to every bass hit.  The imagery alone particularly interesting as shots mundane shots of dark corners and run-down houses come across as terrifying.  Finally, camera angles are used to unbearable effects at times in squeezing out tension and suspense.  These three technical aspects are a living, breathing, organism, and what they ultimately do is bring the evil to life.

 

Once the evil is indeed alive, it becomes the main character.  It dominates the screen every damn second of the run time.  In fact, at times the film is most terrifying when the mere thought of the sight of someone turning the corner and walking at that brisk, but leisurely pace has you shaking in your boots.  It is powerful, it is dark, and if allowed, it will provide one of the more intense horror viewings to come out in some time.

 

Unfortunately, not all is perfect.  The film kind of sputters to the finish line as the ending is somewhat silly.  I'll give them a light pass here for the preceding brilliance, but it kind of feels like the filmmakers didn't quite know how to end the story.  My biggest complaint lies with the role Jay's friends play in the film.  The skin-tingling scenes in this flick were mainly Jay alone against the evil.  I can't help but feel that the involvement of her friends took away some intensity in this respect.

 

Problems aside, I'll just come out and admit that the thought of turning on the damn light crossed my mind a couple of times during my viewing last night.

 

Enough said.

Edited July 21, 2015 by mattmav45

[Gopher]

baumer's 100% on point. This movie is crazy good. Every shot knows exactly the scariest thing to show and not show. 

 

Also, it may be because it's the only laugh in the film, but the slow closeup of Jay's friend in the lunchroom after they finally have sex is maybe my favorite laugh in any movie this year. 

[baumer]

Somethings wrong here. Me and gopher again.

[Gopher]

Somethings wrong here. Me and gopher again.

JW sucks JW sucks JW sucks JW sucks

I think it's ok now

[Bishop54]

I was drawn in until that ending....I realize why they did it but I didn't get any closure.

[CJohn]

Fucking great movie. I felt like the last 15 minutes were not as good as the rest, but it was great. Passing it to Paul was dumb but I assume he passed it to a hooker. Otherwise I am not sure how he was gonna get laid soon enough  I thought she had passed it to those boys in the boat but I guess she regretted that decision. 

[Plain Old Tele]

Huh. I liked it, but not as much as some of you. I mean, it had a cool vibe and stuff, and I dug the soundtrack, but it never really completely came together to make it a WOW experience for me.

I definitely enjoyed and appreciated it, but it's B territory for me.

[baumer]

Huh. I liked it, but not as much as some of you. I mean, it had a cool vibe and stuff, and I dug the soundtrack, but it never really completely came together to make it a WOW experience for me.

I definitely enjoyed and appreciated it, but it's B territory for me.

 

[Goffe]

Huh. I liked it, but not as much as some of you. I mean, it had a cool vibe and stuff, and I dug the soundtrack, but it never really completely came together to make it a WOW experience for me.

I definitely enjoyed and appreciated it, but it's B territory for me.

why are you such a hater?

 

bad Tele, bad.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Goffe

[Plain Old Tele]

Since when is giving a B being a hater?

[baumer]

Since when is giving a B being a hater?

 

Put the keyboard down.

B is for losers.

Wanna know what B is?  A set of steak knives.

Wanna know what first place is?  You keep your job.  B means you don't love it.  

You're such a hero Tele, you didn't like it, why don't you go make something better?

You see this watch baumer?  

Yea

This watch costs more than your car.

I made $970,000 last year so I can hate IT Follows all I want. Nice guy?  Don't care.  Good father?  I don't give a shit You know what it takes to make good horror Dan and Goffe?  Brass balls gentleman.

So It Follows needs all the luck it can get.  That's why I'm here gentleman

[Plain Old Tele]

Put the keyboard down.

B is for losers.

Wanna know what B is?  A set of steak knives.

Wanna know what first place is?  You keep your job.  B means you don't love it.  

You're such a hero Tele, you didn't like it, why don't you go make something better?

You see this watch baumer?  

Yea

This watch costs more than your car.

I made $970,000 last year so I can hate IT Follows all I want. Nice guy?  Don't care.  Good father?  I don't give a shit You know what it takes to make good horror Dan and Goffe?  Brass balls gentleman.

So It Follows needs all the luck it can get.  That's why I'm here gentleman

 

A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Critiquing. Always be critiquing. ALWAYS BE CRITIQUING. A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention - Do I have you attention? Interest - Are you interested? I know you are, because it's fuck or walk. You critique or you hit the bricks.