A modern 80's classic. Not a masterpiece, some distinct shortcomings, but great nonetheless.

Rating: 7/10 (4 March 2016)

As most of us Horror fans are well aware of, shooting a Horror film is usually a very unrewarding experience when fame and fortune are considered. It is not a very popular genre, regardless to a loyal and growing fan-base worldwide. In It Follows, writer-director David Robert Mitchell took on an additional challenge - creating an artistic classic inspired by the prominent differentiated style of the 80's. The sales compared to the budget may have deemed the project a failure, but any and every Horror fan out there who would give it a chance would have an extraordinary experience!
Everything about It Follows feels like a blast from the past, being an obvious tribute to decades past. The story is quite generic - some supernatural creature following and tormenting its victims. The costumes, acting, lighting and cinematography all resemble the distinct style of the 80's. Even the television sets are old, heavy and round-screened, showing old black and white films. The best feature in this regard is the soundtrack - original, retro and authentic, giving the sensation of watching a film from 30 years ago.
Even the socio-political subliminal messages are from a time past. The creature's victims are chosen after having sexual relations, protesting promiscuity and extent sexual freedom. The conversations between the characters (for instance, the "8 mile speech" mentioned in the quotes) criticize racism and geographic profiling. These messages, banal as they are in this day and age, were extremely popular back in the 80's.
The acting is right on the spot. Body language, intonations, sensations of fear, even the sex scenes - all seem "older" and much less intense and "in your face" than modern Hollywood. Considering the cast is mostly in its early to mid 20's, they obviously had to expand their abilities and learn how to make their acting style older and more traditional. I personally enjoy modern Horror and prefer it, yet can't ignore the skills displayed by the cast. Very impressive!
The downside of the film is the use of certain unnecessary cheats. While the female cast doesn't look like porn actresses with completely flat bellies and huge silicon breasts (and even the bathing suites aren't bikinis, not to mention that bathing suites were actually used instead of showing skinny dip scenes which have become quite popular in modern Slashers) - many scenes (especially of the creature) portray nudity. In addition, one of the first scenes shows very violent graphics. I can't help but feel frustrated with this. Both the violence and the nudity are completely redundant and unnecessary, and feel like a silly attempt at forcing an R rating. The eerie and creepy mood would have wanted for nothing without these cheats, and I honestly can't comprehend why Mitchell decided to use them.
However - It Follows gains lots of points for avoiding the use of cheap jump-scares. The situations described in the story and the sympathy with the characters are what make it scary, not stereotypical "Boo!" moments. I would have liked to see certain plot twists and a better story development (not to mention a better more climactic ending), but even without the film seems to achieve all that it aims for.
In summary, I would definitely recommend It Follows to any Horror fan looking for something different and more intelligent, as well as to cinema fans who enjoy the artistic nuances. Not the best, but far from the worst!