It Follows comes at a time where the horror genre has become a recursive echo chamber—endless repeats of worn out ideas, remakes and tropes. While it does borrow from films that have come before it, there is something fresh and contemplative about the story and it has emotions not usually seen in these types of films. It’s honest, and apparent that director, David Robert Mitchell, was making something quite personal and near to his heart.
Jay (Maika Monroe) is a normal teenage girl living in southeast
Michigan (where the movie was filmed) who has a mild case of small town ennui. Her
new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), has been acting somewhat strange but she brushes
it off as moodiness. After they make love for the first time, she
discovers his terrible secret. There is a malevolent entity that follows him
around taking on the form of different types of people. It is relentless in its
pursuit, though it never moves faster than a brisk walking pace. Even though
you can theoretically outrun it, if you ever stop for any reason, it eventually
catches up to you and tries to kill you.
The onus of evil spirit is transferred through sexual contact, like some sort of spiritual STD. It is interesting because
Hugh figures that because Jay is female, it will be much easier for her to find
a new sexual partner to pass it along to. This rather misogynistic train of
thought is a fascinating concept, and it adds another dimension to what could
have been a generic “demonic stalker” plotline. Jay is conflicted about the
idea of giving the demon to another person, just as women are often conflicted
about sleeping with a new partner. She is simultaneously ashamed and terrified,
having been saddled with this terrible stigma. It also makes for an intriguing
dynamic with her friend Paul (Keir Gilchrist) who has a crush on Jay that has
been unrequited thus far.
This film has a retro aesthetic with soft lighting and
interesting camera framing. The characters use landlines and have old-fashioned
tube televisions, but the clothes and cars look modern. It has the effect of
making the film seem more timeless, as it’s hard to pin down the exact time
period in which the movie takes place. The atmosphere is more realistic and less glossy, which propels the movie towards an indie style. Everything is well-shot, with some
artsy scenes thrown in here or there. Not unlike the monster who chases the
characters, the pace of the film is slow and unrelenting. There is a definite
build-up and it becomes very tense by the end of the film. One small quibble is
Mitchell does rely on a couple of cheap jump-scares, but that seems to be
practically unavoidable in most horror films.
While It Follows
was filmed in southeast Michigan, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of black
people in the movie itself. I feel like this was done intentionally by the
director, but not for the reason you might think. There is a concept known as
“white flight” in which affluent white people move out of urban areas to the suburbs
in the outskirts of the city. Detroit definitely has had this phenomenon occur
and it is a source of tension sometimes. However, no matter how far away these
people move, they still occasionally encounter reminders of their prior home,
whether it be a crime on their street or whatever the case may be. In essence,
their fears follow them wherever they
go. One of the characters in the movie even says, “I remember my mom telling me
when I was a child to not go south of 8 Mile—that it was dangerous”. I feel
like that one of the layers of this film is a metaphor for the current state of
Detroit and how the stigma, the monster, follows the residents of the city no
matter where they go.
Rounding out the surprisingly deep storyline is the
outstanding electronic score done by Rich Vreeland of Disasterpiece (who also scored the adorable indie video game FEZ).
It’s menacing when it needs to be but lush and ethereal at other key points in
the film. It sounds like he used a mix of new and vintage synthesizers and it
all blends together to make an eerie and foreboding sonic experience. There is
an actual repeated musical theme for this score—it’s not just random chords and
ambiance. I adore when a film uses a theme in this way, because just hearing
the familiar notes throughout the film can evoke strong emotions. For whatever
reason, this style of musical score is becoming rarer. The music does lend
itself to the faux-retro feel of the film and was a great choice for a horror
film.
It Follows is one
of the most original horror films I have seen in quite a while. It manages to
use common tropes in a new and exciting way and comes highly recommended.
-Michelle Kisner