It Follows Movie Review

For those of you that don't know, I rarely review horror movies simply because I hate the conventional modern day horror film, I can't stand it's endless clichés and idiotic characters. But I was recommended It Follows as it was something slightly different, so I gave it a watch...

Directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows is a knowingly artsy and unconventional horror film telling the tale of 21 year old Jay. After having sex with a boy she likes, she finds out that he has passed on to her a curse whereby an "STDemon" follows her everywhere she goes. From then on, It Follows maintains a consistent medium level of slow burning tension. To that end, It Follows never has a moment really to stop and cool down as this demon will stalk Jay wherever she goes.

I've heard from critics that It Follows is one of the scariest movies they have ever seen. I saw the movie yesterday evening and slept on it pretty well actually. The biggest complaint I have with It Follows is that it is never really all that terrifying. Yes, the film consistently maintains a good level of suspense and tension throughout but unlike The Babadook (my favourite horror movie of all time) it didn't bother me or give me trouble sleeping at all.

It's still a gorgeous looking movie that was directed fantastically by David Robert Mitchell. The retro 1980s electronic score gave the movie almost a "Halloween" vibe, made even more evident by the homages Mitchell makes to the 1978 horror classic. This musical score combined with some breath-taking editing and cinematography were the driving force behind keeping the movie's tension at such an impressive consistency. Mitchell utilises patient editing techniques, lingering steady shots and 360 degree tracking shots all in a good variety. There was shot for instance which blew my mind as somebody who admires filmmaking. The shot tracks around the full 360 degrees clockwise; you start off by seeing Jay and one of her friends enter a library before panning around to the outside of the school where you see "It" is just slowly walking towards her.

Sometimes the camera will breeze past "It" without obviously focusing on "It", which I think escalated the tension even more as sometimes you have to think twice before you know whether or not a person really is "It". Sometimes you simply don't know. I was a big fan of how It Follows wasn't edited and shot in such an obvious way that most horror movies are. I only counted 2 false jump scares, which is a step in the right direction I feel for horror movies. I can bang on for days about how much I hate false jump scares in movies and thankfully It Follows didn't rely on them to create fear and tension.

I like all of the acting performances, particularly from Maika Monroe who played protagonist Jay. She convincingly conveyed the whole roster of varying emotions required, and was extra convincing in the scenes where she had to act up outright fear and confusion. I also liked how the characters didn't fit horror movie stereotypes, most notably Jay was a likeable, relatable and somewhat innocent girl. In some horror films, the main girl is an absolute slut and you want her to die. In It Follows, you like the character of Jay and you don't want "It" to get her.

To go on top of my initial complaint about It Follows not really being all that scary, I have 2 other major issues which detracted by enjoyment of the film. The first of which concerned the rules of "It". I understand that if "It" kills you, then "It" will start to re-follow the person who gave it to you and so on. I was just confused sometimes at the laws "It" had when interacting with the physical world. If you couldn't see "It", you would still be able to see how "It" could change things in the real world. For example, "It" can push people through the air and can throw objects. I feel as if some of these story elements could've been tightened up a little more, which would've made It Follows more engaging for me.

Also, the 2 boys in the story come across as predictable plot devices in the sense that you know exactly what purpose both of them will have as well as the fate which will eventually befall them. It does kind of spoil some of the surprises if you really think about it for too long, and as I said It Follows does sometimes fall into the category of being predictable.

Despite not scaring me that much, I was a huge fan of the consistent level of suspense Mitchell was able to create and sustain throughout the full runtime. It Follows boasts some excellent directing, cinematography and music, all of which combine to create a consistent atmosphere of dread and inevitability. For my own personal taste, I feel as if a few plot and character elements could have been changed slightly to make it a more enjoyable horror film. But It Follows has my respect as it didn't feel it had to adhere to modern day horror movie conventions. Originality in the horror genre is hard to come by, but it something you will find should you give It Follows a chance.


Rating -  B-

Thanks for reading,
Matt