Disc Reviews
It Follows Review
It Follows made quite the bang this year upon its release. A retro-feel horror film with a simple idea at its core brought to life with some impressive visual direction and a synth score soundtrack.
Maika Monroe (The Guest) takes the lead as a girl cursed to run for her life (in both sense of the word) after she has an intimate encounter with a young man who it seems has “passed on” a curse to her through the act of sexual intercourse. And no “It” will follow her for life. It being the manifestation of a human being that will walk towards its prey until it catches up with them whereupon it kills them. The only way to get rid of her curse is to pass it on by the same act that she received it. This of course only bys time, as eventually “It” will work its way all the way back down the line.
It Follows (Likely to get the sequel formula) works so well because of this basic premise. And reducing the monster in the film to a nonchalant human face (a different person each time we see it) walking as so slow as to make Romero Zombie’s seem like sprint athletes helps bring back the terror that has been much needed in cinema of late.
Big bangs, fake out scares are a thing of the past in this film when all that matters is what is following you and how long it will take before it catches up with you again.
The parallels with the repercussions of sex and sex in horror are also a nice touch and is something dealt with by what the characters do as opposed to spelling anything out for the audience. Monroe’s character we see is faced with some tough choices that effect her and the people around her (Be they friends or strangers) that make it an all the more engaging experience.
There is very little on the extras side in terms of the film-making or film makers. But there is a “professors” commentary track for anyone interested in dissecting this piece.
A brilliant and fresh horror film from a director worth keeping your eyes on for the future.
Steven Hurst