Good but could be better

Rating: 7/10 (31 July 2018)

It Follows is one of the many examples of modern horror movies that serves as an allegory for a contempory social issue, and at that, it does quite a good job. Where it falls off for me is in the execution of some of the scares and character choices. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about this movie. I particularly was intruiged by the premise of a "sexually transmitted demon" as well as how the demon can disguise itself. There are some amazing scenes of tension in which we see a person in the distance slowly approaching the main characters. Also the idea that the demon can disguise itself as anyone and be anywhere is truly terrifying if used in the proper setting such as a crowded area. However, the director/writer opted for the demon to be incredibly conspicuous for almost every scene where it would appear as a creepy old woman or demonic looking child. It seems like the director might have had pressure to make the movie more appealing to the mainstream audience so he had to water down his premise. I also took issue with some of the choices the characters make. We're told that the group of teens are very smart but then see them sit in an open field with their backs exposed to the demon. I personally feel like this was simply lazy writing to set up a scare. This makes it hard to root for the main character because at every turn, she does the least logical option often resulting in her getting nearly attacked by the demon. Overall, this movie is good, but I just think some elements of it could be done better. That being said, it's worth checking out for fans of the genre.