It Follows Review

Influenced by 70's and 80's horror, It Follows is a stimulating psychological horror movie with a basic premise and a creepy concept. This is most likely the best scary film I've seen over the last decade. It Follows draws many associations to John Carpenter's format, from the audio tracks to the cinematography, and instead of appearing like a duplicate or rehash of Halloween, director David Robert Mitchell executes this strange premise with such flair and finesse that you can't help but be rejuvenated by its cleverness.

Every single thing about It Follows works, from the brooding pace to the relatable personalities, easily sucking you into this gloomy world where sexually transmitted diseases can pass on bodies that follow you around regardless of where you are. This is where the majority of the suspense stems from, because rather than relying on blood and shock value, It Follows is subtle and thought provoking - you never know where this entity is and it moves so slow that you aren't sure when it will appear, and this unpredictability in waiting is what real suspense is about.

One aspect that is distinct, besides the brilliant writing and directing, is the musical score by Disasterpeace. It's absolutely stunning in the most ominous, possessing way you can imagine. It's vintage but not dated - heavy on synths and low on bombast, it sets the eerie tone of the movie right from the start and elevates the film's effectiveness into the stratosphere. Even as a standalone listen the tracks are brilliant, but when juxtaposed with the bleak imagery and unnerving atmosphere, it's downright masterful.

It Follows is not an overtly scary film. It's a slowburner, and the emphasis on state of mind over jump scares keeps it even more terrifying. The performances are spot-on, the cinematography is glorious, the pacing is perfect - it's a breath of fresh air into the horror movie genre that has been on life-support for some time now. I can go on and on, but the thing to keep in mind is that It Follows is not for everybody. You probably won't like it if you're looking for this movie to be a paranormal slasher or something of the sort. It's totally psychological, and nowadays, psychological horror is making a huge resurgence. In 2014 we had The Babadook and this year the movie to defeat is It Follows. Both movies are by relatively new directors - Jennifer Kent and David Robert Mitchell respectively - which means they have their entire career ahead of them to invigorate the genre to the heights it used to reach.

It Follows is a work of genius in every respect and an absolute must-watch for horror fans that thought the genre was completely drained of originality. In a year chock full of soon-to-be many blockbusters and money makers, It Follows will be remembered by many as one of the best of the year. It is a movie that embodies all things horror, and pays great tribute to what made people love the genre.