It Follows (2014)

So this one was pretty polarizing for horror fans. Some loved it, some hated it. I personally really enjoyed it because I'm a fan of slow-burn movies. It Follows reignited my interest in current horror films, and I feel that it helped kick off the many exciting and well-made horror films of the late 2010s. I know so many horror lovers think that the last good horror movie came out in the '80s, but in my opinion, that's just a close-minded view. Creativity evolves, and themes change to fit current societal fears. So let's explore how It Follows revived a tired genre.

This movie follows a girl named Jay who contracts a very strange STD… This disease commences her being followed by an eerie force, and if it catches her, it kills her. Once it kills her, it goes back and kills the person who gave it to her. Thus, each person who contracts it must find someone to pass the disease to. And since that person is going to be cursed, they must choose a stranger or someone they don't care about. Since Jay doesn't have the heart to place her burden upon a stranger, she runs. However, she can only hide for so long. The monster (which takes random human form- including family and friends) can only walk, but it continuously walks. So as you rest or remain in place, it continues to come your way. It will eventually catch up to you. Jay has friends who will do anything to help her, but unfortunately, they can't see it. Jay must choose between passing the curse to an innocent person, or continue to run for the rest of her life.

So, the slow-moving monster makes this film work for me, but it's the exact thing that makes it fail to entertain others. The reason I love this monster is that it is so quietly unsettling. For example, Jay is sitting in class and sees a person in the hallway. Are they real? Are they here to kill her? She doesn't know. The panic and uncertainty is something that seems so real and so scary - a threat hiding in plain sight. Then it takes on the form of Jay's loved ones. It takes away the comfort of loved ones and the feeling of safety that relationships provide. Although I don't find myself caring about the characters too much (they're kind of like if saltines were people), the concept is interesting. I think in general, I also have a lot of zombie fatigue. The 2000s were full of jerky, animalistic monsters that had super-speed. While 28 Days Later made zombies scary again by making them fast, the copycats quickly exhausted that technique throughout the rest of the decade. So slowing down and making the monster a little more ominous was a welcome change for me when I saw it.

Many feel that this film is a metaphor for the AIDS crisis, as it is always creeping up on you, no matter how slowly. Medication can only protect you for so long. While the writer denies this, I do feel that if you view art outside the author's intent, this film does come across as a representation of sexually transmitted diseases. One thing I especially love about this film is the way it looks- it's beautiful. It has a retro summertime feel. There's lots of swimming, a beach scene, and some of the shots are beautifully still and feel like a relaxing breeze. Somehow at the same time, the chill of autumn hangs in the air. It almost feels like a '70s classic, like Carpenter's Halloween, but set in the transition between summer and fall. The director, David Robert Mitchell, said he intentionally wanted to make the time-period ambiguous. While the film's fashion looks vintage, there is also modern technology present throughout the movie. The lack of certainty in the setting can provide a sense of timelessness and insecurity for the viewers.

I think this film is an important one to check out. I really believe that It Follows sparked change within the horror community and helped inspire current filmmakers to go a little more indie and less slasher-y. Six years later, I feel like A24 horror has been inspired by this movie. I can see many stylistic nuances in late-2010s films that I don't think would have existed without the release of It Follows. Rating: 4.5 out of 5