Stylistically beautiful and distinct - It Follows is not quite horrifying

Rating: 6/10 (9 May 2015)

David Robert Mitchell should be proud of his accomplishments with It Follows - a moody and stylish horror that welcomes him to the film making scene.
It Follows has a promising premise and the direction of its screenwriter and director David Robert Mitchell shows a passion and vision for details. As a horror, It Follows fails to scare and is more of a highlight reel for Mitchell's cinematic resume.
In It Follows, a young woman named Jay (Maika Monroe) is kidnapped after a sexual encounter with a boy and told that she has now been passed a malevolent entity that will follow her, and if it catches her, kill her. The only way to save herself is to pass it on to someone else. Jay tries elude the force without dooming another soul, imploring her friends to help save her from the thing that predatorily lurks in the shadows.
The entire foundation of the film's presence, an evil being that follows you long after a sexual encounter, feels very much sponsored by some uber-Christian organization for abstinence propaganda. This vibe is not necessarily a bad thing in terms of the film's experience upon the viewer, just an observation of the myriad subtext one can take from the movie's plot.
Stylistically and cinematically, It Follows is a dream – the influences from which director David Robert Mitchell pulls for this movie are clear and distinct. Burgeoning film makers and photography aficionados will take note of the artistry in the purposeful framing and perspective of certain scenes and the tone of the overall film.
David Robert Mitchell still has much to learn in terms of story telling as the horror and terror never truly bubbles to the surface. Slow to a fault, it seem unimaginable that a film this painstakingly paced would resort only to exposition to reveal the plot. Had the viewer also been on a journey to discover the being, rather than a third party spectator, this film would have propelled Mitchell to the A leagues.
Regardless, we at Archon Cinema Reviews are very excited for what is next for Mitchell and what is sure to be a promising career.
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