For the most part, it seems like teenagers move through life as if they’re invincible. It’s the reason why you see them doing some of the dumbest things that seem to only exist to scare their parents. Their bravery is only confronted when a force shows up from a place they didn’t think of before. As seen in It Follows, many cases, it comes from what they seem to be totally nonchalant about.
Jay (Maika Monroe) is one of those rare teenage kids who looks to be living an ordinary existence in an ordinary world. As a matter of fact, she doesn’t even seem to be the type to partake in any risky behavior at all. Until this point in life, the only thing she wants to do is spend a little quality time with Hugh (Jake Weary), a fellow teenager she’s developed feelings for.
The only issue with that is that her time with him has turned into something that very few will ever encounter. She’s being followed and stalked, but it’s not by him or any partners from the past. The truth is, she has no idea what it is. All she knows is that it’s coming, and it wants to see her dead. As whatever it is gets closer, she and her friends get more tense. They do whatever they can to
It turns out that It Follows is a throwback of sorts that utilizes certain aspects of horror that serious fans of the genre are sure to love. There really isn’t any blood or gore, and there’s very little actual violence taking place. It Follows relies on the creepiest segments of horror to leave an impression on your psyche. It’s what great scary movies are made of, and this is one of the better ones we’ve seen in a few years.
This is a picture that includes a large quantity of features that will be recognizable to most, but the simple way they try to frighten us is stunning, effective, adds legitimate entertainment, and is all too common. What I’m talking about is the normal activity of walking. It’s what the vast majority of us do everyday of our lives, but in It Follows, it’s used to strike fear into the hearts and minds of the viewers and characters alike.
While the premise of It Follows is to frighten you, there’s a clear list of metaphors being used that lend themselves to the film quite nicely. For anyone who pays attention, you can clearly see that the entire base of the movie is an artistic analogy for sex and the troubles that can come from it. The most obvious headache that can come from sex arrive in the form of STD’s.
It’s hard not to see that sexually transmitted diseases are what’s being pointed at more than anything. There are a few other things having to do with sexuality that are also at work here, but this is the main one. Focusing on that as the leading product of symbolization is a wise choice. It doesn’t discriminate and is something that everyone should be weary of regardless of who they are.
This doesn’t have a major studio or a large chunk of money behind it, but It Follows is a creation that undoubtedly consisted of a great deal of thought and effort that is present all the way to its cinematic finish line. Films like these should not only receive credit for their quality, they also need to have a legitimate opportunity to succeed financially. Even if it doesn’t, it’s sure to find an audience that’s receptive to its style, substance and unique attempts to frighten its viewers.
Rating: R
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Cast:
Maika Monroe
Keir Gilchrist
Daniel Zovatto
Olivia Luccardi
Jake Weary
Lili Sepe
Film Length: 100 minutes
Release Date: March 20, 2015
Distributor: Radius-TWC
