Refreshingly Spooky Horror Movie

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2019)

When was the last time you saw a horror film that didn't need to rely on gore, big name stars, explosions, etc. to keep its audience entertained? It Follows goes by an old school approach of less is more. Half the time, we're not even sure if there's anything threatening in the frame, but we sure feel like there is.
It Follows tells the story of Jay, a typical American teen, who falls for a boy, they have sex, he knocks her out, and she wakes up in an abandoned building where the boy tells her that he's passed a disease on to her. Oh, but this is no ordinary STD - this one carries a death sentence unless she passes it on before it gets her. Pretty soon, she begins to be followed by many different types of people who are the death curse in disguise.
A killer STD is a sort of silly idea for a horror film, but It Follows takes it very seriously and it gets by due to a heavy atmosphere of dread and tension. The score by Disasterpiece helps a lot in conjuring a creepy mood as does the excellent cinematography that calls to mind early John Carpenter.
It Follows is practically perfect for the first half of the film, but it does have a few pacing issues by the middle of the film where the ages old "exposition" aspect starts going. The characters are also not the most well drawn or nuanced, which hurts a bit of the well crafted tension the film has worked so hard to create. Still, the film manages to work in spite of this.
It Follows is an indie film that deserves your attention.