Tense Creepy Factor Along the Way for ‘It Follows’

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Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – There is a particular atmosphere in “It Follows,” that stalks a viewer long after the credits recede. That is a fine legacy for a horror film, which contains symbolic elements of life itself, and some graveyard humor that breaks the agitation. Yet it also relies on the same old, same old.

The fascination with the walking “undead” or dream monsters or whatever the followers are in this film is approaching its expiration date (hyyy-ooh), but writer/director David Robert Mitchell does breathe some creativity into the state of things within the story, and it formulates a stark creepiness. His use of these followers also symbolizes the simple notion that death is stalking us all, and what sets off this path has much to do with our own biology and consciousness. Yes, you can get a lot out of “It Follows,” even if you just like naked zombies.

The film opens with a grisly murder, and then begins a story of a teenager named Jay (Maika Monroe) who goes out on a date with Hugh (Jake Weary). They have sex, and Hugh now informs Jay that he has “passed on” a curse that allows them to see pursuers, who stalk them for nefarious purposes. Jay sees an example of this, and Hugh dumps her at her home side curb.

Paranoia: Jay (Maika Monroe) in ‘It Follows’
Photo credit: RADIUS-TWC

Jay’s nerdy friends, Paul (Keir Gilchrist), Kelly (Lili Sepe) and Yara (Olivia Luccardi) vow to help her through her weird new condition. When broken windows and more “followers” start to haunt the girl, her neighbor Greg (Daniel Zovatto) helps her to find Hugh and unravel the scary entities. In gratitude, Jay has sex with him, and starts the cycle anew. Meanwhile, the gang seeks to confront the followers, and break the visions.

This was a Sundance Film Festival favorite, in anticipation of its release. It has everything a good teenager horror film must have – fumble sex, nerds, nudity, zombie-like forms and good jokes. The influences of the classic 1980s teen camp is present, and rising actress Maika Monroe (“The Guest”) is a welcome addition to the Teen Scream Queen Hall of Fame. It’s a satisfying journey, and in its conclusion it never ends.

This is writer/director David Robert Mitchell’s second feature, and the first to draw interest from the big film festivals. He definitely has a skill for manufacturing his own universe, and the symbolic elements behind “It Follows” are obvious, yet unfold in a way that paves a discussion. The curse is passed along through sex, as a path towards the finality of the mortal work is revealed. It’s as if the biological imperative of making whoopee is the first transition into a sense of mortality. Or maybe death stalks the sinners? Great stuff.

The casting is very specific, to provide a familiarity to those teenager horror characters that anyone doing a scary film fest has known since their first sleepover. The nerds are particularly funny, because they seem to hang out solely for the purpose of comforting Jay, and their awkwardness as her protectors leads to some unexpected interactions. Also, Paul is desperate to sleep with the randy Jay, but she wants to be “friends.” This has happened to everybody, but especially in the teenager horror category.

Hanging On: Jay Experiences a Presence in ‘It Follows’
Photo credit: RADIUS-TWC

Writer/director Mitchell is enamored of the undead, as his creatures has the characteristics that have been seen before. They also possess powers that are super strong, which also has been seen before. The set-up and creep atmosphere of the film is so substantial, that to see the same “battles” against the creatures is a bit disappointing, but it is a matter of taste in these types of films, and ardent horror fans will probably dig it more than I did.

And of course what “follows” is our own inevitable demise. I hope I expire with a decent suit of clothing on my back, if the undead eternity plays out like the film. It would stink to walk through this eternity with a hospital gown, or the flaccid nudity of an old man. Die young, and leave a pretty zombie.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]