Fear on the Zone

Rating: 10/10 (20 May 2015)

It Follows presents an obvious metaphor about the consequences of teenage sex. Instead of STDs, the movie features a curse that is better off explained in the actual movie. The movie shows a horror trick that somehow becomes rare but proves that it still works in today's audience. In a time of unending gore and jump scares (which, of course, still exist in this movie), the practical kind of horror It Follows provides is the fear from the distance. But the movie also sets up an atmosphere that could outcome the worst of the threat that the characters are being haunted from. It just breathes into the terror, thus it's undeniably creepy and surprisingly smart, with some admirable inspirations from the old school horror.
The film starts off building its mood and atmosphere, trying to introduce the fear in a disorienting way, but the audience will remain sticking into the experience. The story just explores a typical lifestyle of a teenage protagonist; either trying to look innocent or just hanging out and being lazy with her friends. It's a common representation of the adolescents, but it doesn't get too unlikeable as many horror films tend to portray these days. Once the actual premise has been revealed, the tension just rises into a new level. The scares are visible, but shown in different forms, literally and otherwise. The camera mostly shoots a horror scene from the distance, either the spectator's perspective like the beach scene from Under The Skin, or something tension driven where the enemy is coming closer like the chase scene in Rian Johnson's Brick. But it's more about feeling it than seeing it, the movie has already painted the tone from its cinematography and music score, and when things go wrong from both aspects, you should expect the real impending danger from the main character.
The rules of the villain may not be that clear, even in a metaphorical sense, there are times that it sort of drops the ball, but then, there wasn't an exact answer from how this thing works. It's all up to a mystery solving from its characters. It may sound exciting, but the atmosphere that turns their environment into otherworldly remains. The direction is all affectionate inspiration from both horror and art-house. The former is already too obvious by its soundtrack, but the camera also chooses any angles it can, as long as it captures wherever the evil might come right into the main character, even when she is strapped on a wheelchair, driving a car, or lying on a hospital bed. The latter is pretty much adding the mood, like picturing the melancholy of their lives and the darkness of being bound with the sexually transmitted curse. And the main actress, Maika Monroe, really embraces whatever tone the movie takes.
It Follows is best described as brilliantly crafted, even if it's mostly based on inspirations. It would have been a gimmick, but it does all of the styles right and it fits perfectly for its ridiculously clever premise. The rules of its killer may not be that straight, but at the same time, it already does right at creeping us out. It's great when the film is just letting everything in action more than explaining. And luckily, it did. Therefore, it's beautiful and uneasy. It's all about feeling their doomed situation and worry about the possibilities that the conflict may do to the characters. And while horror movies today only seek for cheap scares and nothing else, it's kind of cool of seeing one of the rare that is both disturbing and thought-provoking. Once again, only the indie-horror that got it right.