It Follows An Instant Classic Upon Arrival

The Plot:

Jay had it all. Good friends, beauty, and possibly the man of her dreams. A chance sexual encounter with her Prince Charming will change that. With him comes a story and there’s a catch to Jay’s Cinderella night. Going all the way will cost her. Now wherever she goes, she’s relentlessly followed by a mysterious force that can present itself as any human it deems. With only her friends and her wit, Jay must figure how to rid herself of the demon before she becomes its next victim. Welcome to It Follows.

It could look like someone you know or it could be a stranger in a crowd. Whatever helps it get close to you- Hugh

The Review:

Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of this little gem until it seemed the film was the only piece of entertainment being talked about. Maybe I’m slipping but I was wholly unaware. After researching the flick and the buzz sources, I was more than game to give it a go. Luckily for me, TWC Radius had just announced the film was going wide and I could see it in a theater. Sweet baby Jesus I’m glad I did because the film is amazing. So let’s all hop on the good foot and do the boo thing as I review David Robert Mitchell’s instant classic It Follows.

The Direction:

Robert David Mitchell directs It Follows with an enormous about of competence and maturity. With only two credits two his name before Follows, The Myth of the American Sleepover in 2010 and the ironically titled short Virgin in 2002, Mitchell’s eye for storytelling via camera movements is as sharp as anybody working in the genre today. Move over Ty West. Save a seat Eli Roth. David Robert Mitchell has arrived in a big way.

While composition is crisp in areas, Mitchell doesn’t seem too concerned with composing small takes together in the editing bay to make his film as much as he was focused on keeping the action going in front of the camera while executing remarkably disciplined direction. Shots are by far longer than in most films, something I adore from my years obsessed with John Carpenter’s filmmaking prowess. Takes that often last one to two minutes; The necessary story concepts Mitchell weaves in and out of frame while moving the camera or slowly zooming while holding on a subject after the camera has rested is truly brilliant..

Speaking of Carpenter, it’s obvious that Director Mitchell is a true student of our genre. Carpenter’s timeless 1978 classic Halloween is peppered throughout his movie. Not in a ripping off kind of way but in the true definition of homage. I also saw a scene with shades of Wes Craven’s classic A Nightmare on Elm Street that quite tickled my fancy. It’s truly hard to find a better directed film in theaters right now than David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows.

The Acting:

The acting in It Follows is undoubtedly solid throughout, especially dense with lead Miaka Monroe lending her talents to the role of Jay Height. She more than knocks the film out of the park. In fact, I really hope we get a new scream queen out of her. There really only has ever been one true scream queen, with Neve Campbell’s run in the late nineties being an honorable mention but falling drastically short, and it would be nice for the young actress to help fuel our currently burnt out genre. Playing Jay Height will undeniable help Miss Monroe get there.

You see, Jay is very beautiful. She has a good life. She wants for very little and her friends are never short to remind her of her more favorable qualities. Of course that’s all about to change but the amount of emotional depths Monroe goes through in the film is admirable. Director Mitchell puts this girl through a dog fight to convey his story; Monroe bites back. What’s most impressive is the actresses’ ability to portray true hopelessness and at the same time a character’s understanding that up the river is in the cards. Most horror actresses play fear in a shallow and an on-the-surface type of way. Monroe isn’t most actresses.

The supporting players include, but aren’t limited to, Keir Glichrist, Oliva Luccardi, and Jake Weary. Glichrist plays love sick Paul, who once had something going on with our trusty lead Jay. Glichrist turns in great work here. Before this, I had only seen the guy in the Showtime program The United States of Tara(2009-2013). He plays Paul as a man defeated but only because he knows his comeback is only a few brush strokes away. Luccardi is perfectly fitting as Jay’s sister Lili. Their relationship was believable without the over acting some performers do to show family connections or strong friendships. I welcomed the performance.

Then there is Jake Weary. The actor is the seconded strongest performer in the film with only a handful of scenes, bested only by lead Monroe. Weary has to play many things in the film. Smooth ladies man, scared kid on the run, and vulnerable guy fighting for his life. With the very little screen time he has, I was more than impressed with his take on a young man trying to maintain decency while trying to save his own two butt checks.

The Script:

Mitchell’s script is as refreshing as anything I’ve seen in recent years. Conceptually, it’s the kind of film you wish you had thought of. The type of genius that seems so easy and obvious, but only after the fact. Without giving too much away, much of Mitchell’s well earn suspense is derived not only from his talents as a filmmaker but as a writer. A lot of the rules that Mitchell sets up, namely how the creature operates, allows for some suspenseful scenes. I was constantly wondering when the ravaging presence was going to show up. I was gleefully on the edge of my seat most of the time.

The characters are also well written and their relationships very real. Some of the context of the film is set against the backdrop of the past. It lingers with every scene, but never with characters explaining annoying exposition that isn’t needed. Here the past isn’t mostly spoken about, only in parts that are important to the current plot, but just enough to inform the story presented. It’s the way exposition should be done. Look at James Gunn’s masterpiece Guardians of the Galaxy for another fine example of proper peppering of exposition.

The themes of the film also rang soundly for me. For my money, and I’m open for other takes on the film in the discussion section below, but the film is about the dangers of multiple sex partners and the fear of STDs. The fact that Jay must have to have sex to pass the curse on and other rules I won’t spoil here caused me to arrive to this. I love the idea applied to our genre. Mitchell using something all sexually active people fear, which is most adults on earth, to his storytelling advantage is brilliant.

The Verdict:

David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows is the jolt our genre has needed for arguably a decade. It’s fresh, exciting, and beyond what I ever expected. Point blank, it’s one of the scariest films ever made. It’s a film that is so well directed and conceptually executed that the experience stays with you. I have a strange feeling for many more years too.

The Grade: A+

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