Review of It Follows (2015) by Monosyllabical — 28 Mar 2015

Hey! Horror fans! How ya doin'? So, this is the "big, new, must-see" for horror fans, right? Well, let me get this out of the way right off the bat... I f-ing love this movie. But, that doesn't necessarily mean it's great or for everyone (or even every horror fan). There's exactly one scene of gore (sorry gore-hounds), and it happens pretty early on. I mention this because it typifies the polarizing elements of the film. The scene culminates abruptly, and without any real explanation. In the end, it might shock you... or it might just make you giggle.

And that happens a number of times throughout the film. The real "shock" moments (the film is nearly devoid of jump-scares, opting instead for prolonged sequences of tension and dread, sometimes with no apparent payoff) can either shake you to your core, or just make you laugh to yourself at how goofy or just-plain-odd the scene has played out. It reminds me of early Cronenberg movies. Some people are truly disturbed by the concepts/images presented in his body-horror flicks (and I would argue that It Follows falls under the same category), while others laugh or even shrug off the over-the-top nature of his thematic trappings ("Hey! A VCR is kinda like a vagina! Lets put a vagina in James Woods abdomen then put a VHS tape in there!" Sorry, I'm getting sidetracked).

This movie isn't going to please everyone, not by a long-shot. Many will find the drawn-out sequences of tension-building as boring (although, how anyone can't be enthralled and/or terrified by the thumping, pulsing score, a synth masterpiece that could best be described as Tangerine Nightmare [where my Tangerine Dream fans at? Anyone? Anyone?]). The lack of jump-scares will make the film appear less scary than it actually manages, especially since it plays on that expectation so often then diverts its direction away from a cheap gag. The point is, it's not going to jibe with everyone's tastes, but it deserves at least a look from most because it might unexpectedly grab your imagination and run roughshod over your sensibilities.

Anyway, the reasons I like this movie so much? The characters are all well-drawn out (especially the female trio at the core of the film's cast, who quietly establish a fierce order of protection among themselves a hundred-times less forced or contrived than the vast majority of films that attempt to illustrate that same sense of sisterhood); the score is absolutely phenomenal, even as it wears its influence on its sleeve it establishes its own style, whether pounding away at the listener with sharp, layered tracks, or sweetly cooing with bittersweet tones; the concept is a horror trademark stripped to its barest essentials ("It" essentially represents every slasher-flick killer, even, "tongue-in-cheek," going so far as to say it is interchangeable - it doesn't matter who it is, or what it is, it only matters because it wants to kill you) but it cleverly layers in subtext to suggest that this thing can represent everything from HIV/STD's, rape, loss of innocence, traumatic memories - and each potential narrative thread is reinforced by the film's very deliberate and economic editing (this is one of the few films I've seen where virtually every frame, every shot is communicating something relevant, nothing is superfluous), but it's never so direct that it can't be left up to interpretation (which works to its benefit as "It" could literally mean something different to anyone, which is kinda meta... but, you don't wanna hear about meta).

This is getting kinda long for a user review. Anyway, I'm not gonna summarize, just read the damn body of the review. I will end with this though, appropriately. The ending. No spoilers here. I just wanted to say that I was initially disappointed by the ending (not bragging, but I've seen this twice now; if you're a fan it's worth seeing again, pay special attention to framed photos in relation to what "It" becomes). I know a lot of people in the theater I attended were annoyed/pissed by the ending. It ends where it needs to end.

The end.