Jesse Saunders
Columnist
Terrifying and intense, “It Follows” is the next step for film in the horror genre. From the heart-pounding soundtrack to the amazing cinematography, every moment of this film holds tension and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat.
David Robert Mitchell’s vision of suburban Detroit in “It Follows” is both a dreamy, fear-filled landscape and harshly realistic at the same time. Unlike many modern horror films, the main characters don’t exist in a strange bubble. From the above-ground pool at Jay’s (Maika Monroe) to the identical series of houses dotting the street, everything feels shockingly nostalgic.
The weakest shots of this film put some Oscar-winning pictures to shame. Each shot looked at separately could be an award-winning photograph. Mike Giolakis excels as the head cinematographer, keeping each and every shot as suspenseful as the last.
The sound is just as unique as the visuals. The soundtrack, done entirely by Disasterpeace, can be a bit much at times, but overall brings the entire film together. It only takes a few notes for the audience to begin frantically searching for the monster.
The monster seems to take inspiration from many different sources. The slow, suspenseful approach is more nerve-racking than the modern jump scare appearance of many of today’s supernatural film horrors. The creature’s appearance is terrifying in its simplicity. Only appearing to those that are cursed, the creature creates a sense of constant paranoia.
The monster’s constantly-changing appearance, slow pace and dark eyes somehow make it scarier than the heavy make-up of movie monsters of the past. The creature haunting the characters in “It Follows” takes the best of the modern and classic monsters to create the natural progression of the genre.
One of the film’s only downfalls is the dialogue. Before the appearance of the monster, the dialogue is a bit choppy and doesn’t flow as naturally as other parts of the film. As the film progresses though, the dialogue falls into place and the monologues that were awkward and forced in the beginning flow perfectly in the tension and suspense-filled second and third acts.
The actors take some time to feel comfortable in their roles, but once they do, the film progresses without a problem. The strongest performances come from Keir Gilchrist as Paul, and Jake Weary as Hugh. Both performances are made by the subtlety that the actors bring to the character.
The cast remains small, allowing for the subtleties that the film lives for. The quiet moments pack in tons of character development without feeling overwhelmed. The progression of the characters makes sense and fills the screen.
The characters feel real, even though the world they live in is sometimes dreamy and strangely foreign to the standard viewer. The choices they make are sometimes insane, but make sense in context.
The dread of “It Follows” isn’t in the quick scares and stupidity of the characters, but in the idea that no matter what happens, safety isn’t guaranteed.
“It Follows” is easily one of the best horror films found on the big screen in years, and will leave even the bravest audience member looking over their shoulder for days to come.