A scary, clever ignition of the horror genre

Rating: 9/10 (26 July 2016)

After the a long series of horror films that failed to leave a lasting impression on the horror genre, it comes almost explicitly clear that the horror genre is running scarce of ideas. Thus, the genre is found lost in the sea of old, tiresome clichés that have long overstayed their welcome. This is until director David Robert Mitchell steps in the game to deliver this psychological horror-thriller sparked with one of the most original ideas of the genre brought in recent memory. Devoid of nearly every overused trope including terrorizing paranormal entities, masked killers wielding a bladed weapon, and flesh-eating zombies, this movie formulates an all-new original concept that some can interpret as an allegory of the AIDS epidemic that went viral in the 1980s, a deadly virus transmitted to teenagers through engagement of sexual activity and renders them into a dangerous life-threatening situation. With little works under his belt other than the 2011 coming-of-age drama 'The Myth of The American Sleepover', David Robert Mitchell takes the director's chair in this horror flick starring Maika Monroe as Jay, a young college girl who goes out on a date with her boyfriend Hugh (played by Jake Weary) which leads to intimate sexual encounter. Soon, when Jay becomes experiencing some terrifying hallucinations, she learns her life in mortal danger. Her escape from the dreadful virus is to pass over the virus to another individual via sexual intercourse.
David Robert Mitchell succeeds in energizes this film with not only generating all-new concept but also executing it in an effective manner. This task involves taking the typical "only virgins survive" trope common in the slasher genre (Halloween, Scream for example) and expanding upon it. Rather pounding the audience with constant sight scares and jump scenes, the film conveys it's scare factor by building up it's dark, eerie atmosphere through slick character development and the revolving fear of the characters battling against the horrors of this sexually transmitted virus. Though the plot's slow pace can be frustrating for the impatient viewers, Mitchell succeeds on making the concept work. But the scares are the only the film's high caliber. The movie was filmed on location in an old tranquil neighborhood in Detroit and uses vintage synthesized music score common by Disaster Peace that pay effective homages to the horror classics from the 70s and 80s. As a result, viewers are presented with what feels like a retro horror flick. The music score succeeds on only obtaining a retro feel for the film but also constructing it's true eerie atmosphere. Aside from all this, the cast shows off some great performances, particularly Maika Monroe as the steamy scream queen serving the center role in the story. Are the performances very memorable? Not really, but certainly work.
It Follows is a fresh, stunning addition to the horror genre that introduces a fresh new idea to the category with fresh performances, spectacular direction by David Robert Mitchell, and an overall solid execution of a newborn concept. The chances of this becoming a horror classic are hard to say at this point but it is definitely a must-watch for all horror fans looking for something new.